Exeter’s public spaces set for creative makeover

Following the recent Pinhoe station creation, artist Chloe Farrant is all set to bring another 10 murals to Exeter with her Transforming Spaces 2025 project

If you’ve travelled through Pinhoe train station at all over the last couple of months, chances are you would have seen a large mural on one of its platform walls featuring a display of three foxes all set against a stunning wildlife backdrop.

Its creator, artist Chloe Farrant, completed the piece last September after she’d been approached by the Exeter Wellbeing group who were working with Friends of Pinhoe Station, alongside Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR), to brighten up the station.

The fox theme had been suggested to her because a family of foxes were well known to the area and had often been seen around the railway embankment. However, for Chloe, painting and sculpting animals has been part of her creative life for as long as she can remember.

“I’ve always been interested with nature and animals,” Chloe said, “I love animals, in fact I support lots of sanctuaries. Later in the year, I’m hoping to support Animals Asia by travelling to one of their bear sanctuaries in China or Vietnam and doing a project for them.

Aside from her overseas plans, Chloe’s next big venture is her Transforming Spaces 2025 Project.
This new project’s main aim is to transform 10 public spaces in Exeter through striking environmental-themed murals.

Business, community groups, and organisations can apply, and 10 spaces will be selected throughout the city for a small bespoke mural that will be completed this year. “I can’t start this until the spring when the weather improves,” Chloe remarked, “but I’m excited, this new project will bring nature into urban spaces.”

When she’s not working on murals, Chloe can be found teaching art to children during weekends at her Meraki Art School. The school, based in the Guildhall Shopping Centre, started back in 2021. In a few short years, the educational centre has gone from strength to strength.

“When we first started, the first session was free, and in three months we were full,” says Chloe, “I run the classes alongside other artists and volunteers, and have some incredible students – and it seems to be really popular. The name Meraki is Greek and it means to put yourself into what you do, or to to do something with love.”

Creating art and teaching have been a constant in Chloe’s life for many years; the teaching first came about after she finished studying History of Art at Oxford Brookes University – she ended up being head of creative arts across four primary schools – but she was interested in art from when she was a young child.

“Art has always been my one love. I was always drawing and painting,” Chloe recalls, “whenever I had a spare moment, I’d be that annoying person trying to draw someone behind their back.”

To find out more about Chloe’s work, and her Transforming Spaces 2025 project, visit her website (https://www.chloefarrant.co.uk).