The world’s biggest doodle

Mr Doodle creates a mural on the side of an Ashford car park

What is believed to be the world’s biggest doodle is now on the side of a multi-storey car park in Ashford, Kent. Sam Cox, who works under the name Mr Doodle, has painted the side of the Edinburgh Road car park as part of UNFRAMED, a mural festival which launched on 31 March.

The giant 16-metre (52-foot) by 10-metre (32-foot) mural, called Concrete Cluster took five days to complete and is now Mr Doodle’s largest singular artwork.

Mr Doodles said: “The brutal appearance of this building makes it an ideal space for a bold, bright and happy mural. I really want this mural to be a positive addition to the town. I truly believe that art, in particular doodles, can enhance a building, brighten up an environment and, in turn, make people smile and feel positive.”

The UNFRAMED contemporary street art trail, curated by Accent & The London Mural Company, has seen blank walls and building surfaces around the Kent town transformed by the creation of mural paintings and bespoke integrated artwork.

Other renowned street artists whose work being showcased around the town include Alex Chinneck, Charley Peters, Will Redgrove and Hatch. There are also works by local artists such as Ashford Snowdog and Danielle Williamson as well students from Ashford College.

The project is supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities with a budget of £25,000 from

Parking spaces become a meeting place the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Chris Dixon, arts and cultural industries manager at Ashford Borough Council, said: “I’m excited to welcome so many brilliant artists to Ashford as part of our first mural festival. Murals are a great way to showcase creative talent as well as redeveloping blank walls in town centres, making them more attractive and safer spaces to be in.”

UNFRAMED is fourth and final seasonal event commissioned as part of the Ashford Festival and Event Framework.

In 2020, Mr Doodle was the world’s fifth most successful artist aged under 40 at auction. Last year he covered his entire house in Tenterden, Kent, in doodles.

The roof deck of a multi-storey car park in Wrexham has been transformed into a an urban garden by artists and volunteers. The Tŷ Pawb art centre’s garden features fruit trees, flowers and tables. Jo Marsh, creative director of Tŷ Pawb, said: “The rooftop green space is an embodiment of art as a way of doing things. It is an arts project, but it’s taken the form of a hands on growing space that’s going to hopefully benefit people for years to come.”

The project explores themes of community, climate change, loneliness and food poverty. Project manager Tracy Simpson said the garden offers mental health benefits to its volunteers. “A lot of people are perhaps suffering from mental health. One of the key things is how do you regain social skills? Being part of that process is a fantastic boost for anybody, regardless of where you started off from.”