Street artists 'bringing the city alive' by transforming junction boxes

Drab Belfast junction boxes are being brightened up with striking artwork from local and international artists.

Belfast-based artist Ray Bonner, known as FGB, recently completed work on a box in east Belfast - turning it into a box of crayons.

It is part of the Belfast Canvas project, which aims to transform junction boxes across the city with street art.

Ray has been part of the street art scene in Belfast for almost 20 years - and he said it helps "bring the city alive".

Junction boxes house electrical equipment and other utilities, like telecommunications equipment.

Ray's crayon box sits at the intersection between Grand Parade and the Castlereagh Road in east Belfast.

"When I was sent the photo of the junction box I saw the box initially and I just thought: 'To me that's a big box of crayons'," he said.

"I always like to try to add an element of fun, kind of like a trick of the eye, where a lot of people see a big box of crayons first and then go: 'Oh wow that's one of those junction boxes'.

"That was my thinking behind it.

"A lot of people use outside solely to get from one place to another.

"I think having some paint on a wall, or mural, or something like this makes people stop and think and remind them just to take a second out of their day and appreciate what's around them."

The artwork took an afternoon to complete - and Ray said the hardest part was cleaning the box, which "needed a good scrape".

He took time to make sure he was happy with his work.

"You're playing with all four sides of it - you go backwards and forwards, making sure everything lines up as it should, running across the street, looking at it," he said.

"You want to get the idea of how it looks to someone in their car as most people aren't going to be standing beside it."

The initiative is based on a Dublin model, Dublin Canvas, which saw the transformation of junction boxes across the Republic of Ireland capital.

In 2019, Belfast City Council partnered with CQ Bid and Belfast Bid to commission Seedhead Arts to do the same with Belfast junction boxes.

Daisy Chain Inc took over delivery of the project in 2022 and, in 2024, held a workshop for visual artists who were interested in street art, but didn't know where to start.

The project is currently in its fifth phase, with over 100 utility boxes now completed - and options are being developed to continue rolling it out in 2025-26.

A council spokesperson said the initiative had "brought greater vibrancy and animation to the city – which is being enjoyed by residents and visitors alike".

Daisy Chain Inc director Adam Turkington believes aesthetics, beauty and art are important in cities.

"These boxes are utilitarian, they have a purpose, they are junctions between things that make the city work.

"But before we paint them, they're also a bit ugly and boring and they're just in our way a lot of the time.

"I find it very hard to get past the idea that every box we make look better makes people's lives a little bit better."

He has created a map of the Belfast junction boxes.

For artists, Adam said that one of the "beautiful" things about Belfast Canvas is the fact that there is no brief.

"It's called Canvas because it's a canvas for the artist to express their artwork and represent themselves."

Ray said there is a lot of "public participation" when artists paint in Belfast.

"You'll get the usual - 'Are you Banksy? Do you get paid for that? Get a real job.' Things like that but it's all part of it and it's quite fun."

He said most people like seeing the junction boxes being painted "because they've noticed them around the city and they feel like their area is being included in the project".

Young people seeing art for free could be "inspirational", he added, and "encourage the next generation of artists".