The Dover Prize would support the development of a new, ambitious body of work exploring British folk costume and folk traditions through the lens of County Durham’s landscape, mythology, and ceremonies. I will create a series of large-scale fine art paintings and a public mural in Darlington that reimagine the region’s spiritual and celtic heritage through a modern lense.
The paintings will depict various folk traditions , folk spirits and ceremonial figures, inspired by deep research into local and national traditions. I will depict scenes based on sources such as County Durham’s Greatham Sword Dancers, mummers’ plays, rapper sword traditions, and regional miners’ banners, as well as wider British customs like the Garland King, Mari Lwyd, and the Straw Bear Festival. These depictions will be rooted in the material culture, pattern, and performance practices of the British Isles.
Each painting will be accompanied by written references to its sources—part anthropological documentation, part symbolic fiction, building a contemporary visual archive of folklore rooted in place and myth.
The work will culminate in:
A public exhibition in Darlington
A large-scale mural in a communal space (library or market square)
A community talk or workshop sharing the research and visual inspirations behind the project.
To deepen the local connection, I will use natural pigments made from County Durham’s soils and plants, including historical dyes such as woad (Isatis tinctoria), once used by ancient Britons from the region,
. I also aim to create an augmented reality layer to animate aspects of the painting as I have done in the past to add a greater depth to the work and combine the ancient with the contemporary .
The process will be documented through a video diary, travel sketches, field notes, and recordings of traditional sites and festivals.
This project marks a major evolution in my practice, blending fine art, folklore, public engagement, and digital experimentation into a cohesive, place-responsive body of work rooted in Darlington and the wider folk memory of Britain.
This project will bring together fine art, folklore research, and community engagement to create a striking and meaningful body of work rooted in Darlington’s identity. By drawing on local traditions such as the Greatham Sword Dancers, rapper sword performances, and miners’ banners, while connecting them to wider British folk customs—I aim to create paintings and a mural that reframe Darlington as a vital part of the UK’s living folkloric landscape.
The project will raise the profile of the creative arts in the area by culminating in a public exhibition and a large-scale mural situated in a communal space such as the library or market square. These works will be highly visible, accessible, and locally resonant, offering both residents and visitors a reimagined view of the region’s heritage.
I also plan to host a talk or workshop in Darlington, sharing the historical research, symbolism, and visual process behind the project. Through this, I hope to spark renewed interest in the town’s cultural identity, folklore, and place-based creativity. This work will position Darlington not only as a place of industrial and railway heritage, but as a site of artistic imagination, ancestral memory, and evolving cultural expression.
I am a multidisciplinary visual artist working across painting, large-scale murals, and augmented reality, with a deep focus on research , anthropology and textile pattern. My practice draws on folkloric traditions, historical research, and site-specific mythology to create surreal, symbolic worlds that bridge the ancient and the contemporary. Over the past decade, I’ve painted murals and exhibited work for institutions including Google, Facebook, the United Nations , Imperial College London, the University of East London, and Birmingham City Council. These works often integrate multicultural motifs, symbols, and environmental references to reflect community identity and place. I’ve also pioneered the use of augmented reality in public art, animating murals with layered, interactive storytelling—first showcased in my solo exhibition Augmented Rituals at Ying Art Center, Shanghai. I am an avid traveller and After visiting over 50 countries I became inspired by a wide range of multicultural art styles and traditional mediums combining and integrating techniques and patterns from different cultures and religions into my work.
I gained a love of ethnology, so when travelling i often visit indigenous tribes and spends time to live with them and learn from them. My work is grounded in visual anthropology and the exploration of collective memory through pattern, landscape, and narrative. I often experiment with materials—using pigments made from local soils, natural dyes like woad, and digital overlays to create work that lives between history and speculation. Selected public commissions and exhibitions include: Swindon Council Hoarding Mural – incorporating canal history, folklore, and wildlife through co-design with local communities
UEL Campus Murals – exploring academic disciplines through symbolic abstraction and layered storytelling
National Trust / Birmingham Council Mural Commission – currently underway as part of a broader regeneration programme
Saatchi Gallery – group exhibition
My work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and often seeks to connect the past with the present through ritual forms, surreal visual invention, and participatory storytelling. I am particularly interested in how symbols—textiles, masks, glyphs, banners—act as vessels of memory and identity. Whether painting walls or working on canvas, I aim to connect people to place and to one another through the shared visual language of folklore, story, and spirit. My current direction blends fine art, folklore research, community collaboration, and immersive technology, contributing to a living tradition that honours the past while re-enchanting the present.
Yes. I hold a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and Photography from the University of East London. This multidisciplinary programme helped shape my foundation in visual storytelling, composition, and design theory, with a strong emphasis on concept-led practice and community engagement. My education at UEL played a formative role in my current practice as a muralist and visual artist working across painting, public art, and augmented reality.
Yes. I have been awarded several public art commissions through competitive government tenders, including large-scale murals for Swindon Council, Wembley Park (Brent Council), and Birmingham City Council. I was shortlisted for the Zealous Art & Design Award and received an artist residency award at Dar Slimane in Marrakesh. Additionally, I was recognised for pioneering the use of augmented reality winning a Nova award for technology in 2018 Shanghai expo.
Yes. I have independently initiated and coordinated numerous large-scale mural projects internationally. A notable example includes a multi-storey mural spanning three floors at Shoreditch Platform in London, where I led a team of seven assistants to complete a single unified artwork. Another project was for the University of East London, where I managed a team of four assistants to deliver a campus-based mural that reflected the university’s diverse academic disciplines. These projects involved full production oversight—logistics, material planning, site preparation, and public safety—as well as direct community engagement when relevant. I often work autonomously to secure commissions, build partnerships with institutions and local councils, and lead all stages of production from concept development to final installation. This hands-on approach allows me to maintain a consistent artistic vision while providing opportunities for emerging artists and assistants to gain professional experience.
Yes. I have been commissioned by multiple public institutions including Birmingham City Council (Moseley Road Baths mural), Swindon Council (public hoarding mural & a public bridge for the canal trust), and the United Nations (cultural diplomacy mural project in Thailand). These commissions have involved both solo and collaborative work, with a strong focus on storytelling, heritage, and site specificity.
Yes. My artwork was acquired by Swindon Council for their public collection through a mural commission linked to the historic Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. The work was developed through community-led research and co-design workshops and is now part of a long-term display reflecting local heritage .
My work has been featured on bbc news, Surrealism Today, The Psychedelic Press, and the Jealous Gallery Newspaper. These features explored my integration of surreal and symbolic imagery in public art.
I am represented by East London Art Society, a grassroots gallery initiative supporting emerging artists across London .
Yes. I was selected for the Dar Slimane artist residency in Marrakesh in 2018, an immersive programme involving multiple international artists. During the residency, I created over 20 works which culminated in a public exhibition in Marrakesh city. The residency provided a unique opportunity to engage with Moroccan craft traditions and site-responsive themes.
Email: lukegrayillustration@gmail.com
Local Authority: Swindon borough council
