Bringing the magic of mosaics to Southampton

Will Rosie

I moved to Southampton with my family at 10 years old, so it’s been a big part of my life from a young age. After leaving school with just one high-grade pass in art, I made my first mark in the creative industry as a screen printer – an art form which didn’t suit me so well. Year’s later, I can safely say I’ve found my calling as a successful mosaic artist and I’ve been able to leave a powerful mark on the city.

I would like my mosaics to help get Southampton recognised as a creative cultural hub, that people will want to visit because they know they won’t be disappointed. Ideally, I’d like to Southampton to become as famous for its mosaics as Barcelona is!

Before I got into mosaic work, I’d gone down a few different career paths. After I decided to retake my GCSEs at night school, I worked as a healthcare assistant in local hospitals, became a youth worker and managed to complete a degree in Applied Theology and Youth and Community Work at the same time. 

I eventually ended up working for a friend who was a landscape gardener. This was a role I unfortunately had to stop when I developed severe sciatica, and was left wondering what I’d do for work. 

Thankfully, a community organisation I’d worked with previously got in touch in search of a mosaic artist to complete an £8,000 project. I then made the bold decision to take on the job despite having never crafted a mosaic before! 

The brief was to design five recessed mosaic panels. After consulting with the local community, I developed the final designs and led the project as a community art initiative, involving local people in the build. The mosaics, depicting the four seasons and a Celtic cross, can still be seen at the entrance of Shirley Warren Community Garden.

The rest is history. I’ve since gone onto secure some commissions I’m hugely proud of. I’ve designed a series of mosaics for the Hinkler Place housing development, the Townhill Green development as part of Southampton City Council’s regeneration programme and the Mayflower Mosaic at Bitterne Library. Sometimes I get some surprising commissions come in, such as one from Disney who needed some panels created at the last minute for a display in Rome. 

Noticing just how little public art there was, I started placing mosaics around the city. I don’t think it’s that mosaic work stands out any more than any other type of art, but it’s their weather resilience that means they withstand the test of time. I think my particular way of creating and placing mosaic art works well too. It creates a trail of interest across the city and encourages people to visit areas they wouldn’t normally go to.

I chose to create the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters because of their connections to childhood, fun and British culture. I’ve also done a number of superhero logos for similar reasons. There are a number of factors that I consider when I am placing a mosaic, such as 24 hour access to the general public, a high footfall and spots where traffic is often at standstill. 

Six years on from the placement of my first Mr Men mosaic, I still have people come up to me and tell me that my mosaics put a smile on their face. This is exactly the kind of reaction that I wanted and it’s probably why Mr. Happy was the first of these mosaics that I put up. I just want to bring joy to our city.

When I have the time, I run mosaic workshops for people who want to learn. I deliver these workshops from my studio at our house in Portswood and they’re open to all abilities. I enjoy working with the community because I get to meet a lot of different people and discover their backstories. Creating mosaics is both a way of making art and accidentally making friends at the same time.

Alongside my work as Mr Mosaic, I’m also an accomplished public speaker. I love sharing stories and lifting the spirits of my audiences. My street art adventures are a big part of how I grew my confidence, and I hope my story can inspire others too. 

I’m looking forward to continuing to share my passion, taking on even more projects and spreading the magic of mosaics across Southampton.