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Rejuvenating Leeds City Centre

Pruning the Jewel of the White Rose

The great city of Leeds, de-facto capital of Yorkshire, and birthplace of Imageco. It’s about time this historic market town got a revamp. We worked with local up-and-coming new artist Ekaterina Sheath to print stunning artwork and install them in key locations around the city centre, bringing a bit of colour to the streets of Leeds through the use of impactful window displays.

Why Window Displays?

The streets have been bare since shops and hospitality venues closed in November 2020. Since then, the city has been an uninviting, cold place. We knew this needed to change. We collaborated with Ekaterina to develop bright, colourful prints that would stimulate life back to the cobbles of Briggate and into the bustling glass house of Trinity.

So, What’s the Artwork?

The very talented artist, Ekaterina was commissioned by Leeds City Council together with Leeds BID, the management team at Victoria Gate & Victoria Quarter and Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre, to illustrate designs which aimed to create a vibrant and colourful atmosphere to welcome returning visitors.

She was inspired by the people of Leeds. Every one of the figures depicted in the artwork was a local passer-by who happened to be walking past the planned site for the window displays.
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“Every element within my design has a direct link to Leeds. After reading the brief I felt that the people who make up our community were integral to the project and wanted to ensure that they were the main focus.

Symbols scattered between the characters represent the variety of bars and cafes the city has to offer. The abstract shapes and patterns are inspired by the local architecture. People are shopping, busking, going for a stroll, sipping on a cup of tea and catching up with friends. My design aims to embody Leeds as a thriving community and a welcoming place to live, work, and shop.”
Ekaterina Sheath
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“A core value in my work is representation — I aim to celebrate diversity and equality of ethnicities, religion, gender and sexuality through positive illustrations. It is important to me to depict our multicultural community.

I have just been to go see the pieces - they are beautiful! Thank you for taking so much care and time with them - I really appreciate it!”
Ekaterina Sheath

A Win for Green - Choosing Sustainability

The chance to work on such an iconic design for Leeds City Centre was given to us thanks to our unique eco-credentials. The management team recognised our commitment to sustainable print, and even chose to have these pieces of artwork printed using our HP Latex with water-based ink with a top PVC free laminate. Completely free of harmful chemicals and pollutants.

The five storefronts on Briggate, and two for Trinity were printed using power entirely from the sun, by using our brand-new solar panels. Just another show of commitment from the city towards sustainability. Thank you to Luke Tetsill (Leeds City Council), and Danielle Harris (Trinity Leeds) for joining the eco-revolution and choosing print that makes a difference.

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