A Liverpool street artist has completed a mural in the heart of Toxteth with a strong social message.
John Culshaw was commissioned by The Greenhouse Project to create a mural that conveyed a strong anti-gun and anti-knife crime message.
The work, which is now on display in Tiber Square off Lodge Lane, was completed earlier this week.
John, 34, who grew up in Page Moss, told the ECHO that he was particularly proud of the work.
He said: "For me this piece is all about the strong message that the community group wanted to convey. They sent me a brief with many ideas and it was my job to create one piece of art that reflected those ideas.
"On a personal note I really enjoyed working with the young people and the volunteers on this project."
John posted a message on social media on Friday which read : "I can finally post the finished product. I would love to say a massive thank you to @tiber_org and @greenhouseprojectl8 for letting me be a part of this amazing project.
"I would especially like to thank the Tiber steering program who put in so many hour researching, finding an artist and coming up with a brief for a piece of art. As much as I would like to take credit for this huge piece of art it really has been a group project.
"The young people from this group put their heads together and and came up with a detailed brief of what they wanted to represent their message. The message behind this mural has many layers. It was born from a desire to highlight the problem of gun/knife/violent crime in the city.
"The young people thought long and hard about the imagery of this piece of art and decided they wanted to steer well clear of any images that could glamorise the carrying of weapons.
"They decided to focus on peace and community as the main objective of their piece. They also wanted to represent the many communities/cultures that make up Lodge lane, L8 and the city a a whole.
"Another reason for this piece of art is to highlight the diverse cultures of Lodge Lane and hopefully bring new people to the area to sample the amazing cultures, food and atmosphere of the area.
"It has been an absolute pleasure working on this project and I would just like to say again thank you for getting me involved."
Stephen Nze, from The Greenhouse Project, spoke to the ECHO about the story behind the work.
He said: "We chose John because the young people involved all related to him. The message that came back was that John was 'one of us'."
Stephen, who grew up in the Lodge Lane area, said that that the anti-gun and knife crime message was a universal one, and not directed at the L8 community.
He said: "Yes the message behind the art was anti-gun and knife crime, but that is a message for the city as a whole not just L8 ."
Stephen , 55, said that he found the completed art work "stunning."
He said: "The message is so powerful. And the word peace is appears in over 10 different languages which reflects the Lodge Lane community."
Stephen wanted to single out John for praise.
He said: "The best thing I can say about John is that he is a true Scouser through and through.
"He totally got the project. I am a bit of a mystical person and I believe that John was meant to complete this project for us.
"I would like to mention the young people from the steering group who worked with John on this project so thanks Donika, Andreia, Caitlin ,Tia, Asia, Martin and Nathan."
