This project is about interesting people, from interesting places, doing interesting things today in Northern Ireland. It is funded by the Shared History Fund.
Did you know there’s an Australian painting every corner of Northern Ireland today? Neither did we – until now!
Meet Danni Simpson, one of Northern Ireland’s brightest young Street Artists. Originally from ‘down under’, her fellow artists and she are responsible for uplifting Belfast’s art scene to the next level, with her iconic images strewn across Belfast and beyond.
Danni’s granny is from Belfast, so she hasn’t so much moved here as much as she has returned home. She quit her job in Australia with the intention of moving to Holland. On the way over, she decided to visit her grandmother and ended up staying in Northern Ireland. As a muralist, could she have really come to a better city than Belfast? We certainly don’t think so – and it nearly never happened! She thanks the wonderful people of Northern Ireland for that, whom Danni characterised as the friendliest in the world which welcomed her with open arms.
If you’ve walked the streets of Belfast’s cathedral quarter or frequented the city’s quaint gift shops, pubs or art festivals you will be well familiar with her signature style, which one could argue upliftingly symbolises the ‘new Belfast’ in the way parochial muralists depicted the old. She’s taken a modern, positive twist on the traditional ‘Norn Iron’ mural, highlighting NI’s unique colloquialisms, cherished local products and infusing some of her Aussie charm into her work.
As a traveller, one of my fiendish obsessions is geography and especially maps. This woman can make a mean map! She specialises in interactive depictions of countries and cities, using local people, food, culture and character to bring its topography and borders to life. You can find these in businesses and street corners all over Northern Ireland and can check them out online here.
What I found most shocking about Danni’s talent is that she’s only been doing this for five to six years, having only picked up a paintbrush at the age of twenty-five. When you see the quality and diversity of her work, it is truly astonishing. She initially started out struggling to sell mandalas on the beach – now look at her!
Danni’s work is also embedded in the community. She’s an integral part of a rising culture of young artists carrying here into a bright and vibrant future. Any local can attest to how much these talented individuals have transformed this city and communities across NI. They support each other, providing advice when needed and sharing techniques and know-how.
This isn’t insular either. Danni hosts community workshops, helping bumbling fools like myself learn the basics even with no prior painting experience. She’s not shy in approaching the topic of mental health either, explaining how getting into painting helped her through difficult times and inspired her. She shared her experience and knowledge over Zoom with isolated individuals over the pandemic, which she felt mutually beneficial, helping them and her through a trying time.
As her portfolio grows, she’s gained more jobs in more places, like Dublin, London and back home in Australia. Travel is important to her too, and now she can display her locally grown talent on the world stage. She is adamant, however, that here is home.
What can I say? Danni has it all. Maybe here wasn’t always painted in a positive light, but it is now.
