A Century in Portraits: 100 Years, 100 Faces Mural Pays Tribute to Most Inspiring Figures
The mural will showcase 100 of Stoke-on-Trent's most influential people over the last century – and you can see who they've captured from 14/09 in Stoke city centre…
Celebrating a century of the city’s unique heritage, community and creativity, the 100 Years, 100 Faces mural that celebrates Stoke’s Centenary has been brought to life by local artists Rob Fenton and Alastair Barnett in their most ambitious – and largest – project to date.
The large-scale public artwork is set to reflect the past, present, and future of Stoke-on-Trent, featuring portraits that honour the people who have shaped the city’s identity and helped put us on the map, including Robbie Williams, Sir Stanley Matthews, and Reginald Mitchell. An unknown figure within the mural, meanwhile, is intended to represent those who will achieve great things in the next 100 years.
Back in March of this year, a panel of judges assembled to whittle down more than 200 nominations by half. Offering insight into the meticulous process behind the mural, Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID has issued a short film and a series of behind-the-scenes photographs documenting the journey from planning to painting.
Since then, Rob and Alastair have been working behind the scenes to translate sketches into a vibrant artwork that everyone can admire in Stoke city centre.
The project has shown the interconnectivity of people in our city, believes the mural’s project manager Rob Fenton. “It’s incredibly rewarding as a local artist to be working on this project and it has been great to depict so many of this city’s icons. I would imagine it not to be a quick visit when the public gets to see the mural – it’s packed with hidden gems.”
The technical aspects of creating the mural have been just as integral as the storytelling. Lead artist Alastair Barnett said: “We have blended traditional methods with modern technology, which has been of real help for a project as ambitious as this one. We have had around a 2.5 hour time limit per portrait, so by using VR headsets to do our stencils we have saved a lot of time. We blew up each m² and used it as a projection to work from across the 12 metre tall building.”
The mural not only commemorates 100 years since Stoke-on-Trent was officially federated as a city but also pays tribute to the resilience, creativity, and character of its people. By blending traditional hand-painting with modern tools and techniques, the duo have created an artwork that feels both contemporary and deeply rooted in the city’s heritage.
And as Fenton says, this mural can help instill us Stokies with respect and self-belief. “If we can invoke some sense of pride, that would be incredible.”
Who are you most looking forward to seeing represented? Let us know below in the comments!
You can see the mural from Sunday 14 September in Stoke City Centre. It’s situated on Marsh Street on the car park directly opposite Kwik Fit.
The behind-the-scenes video is available to view now: 100 Years 100 Faces Meet the Artists - YouTube.