PHOTOS: GERARD O’BRIEN & SUPPLIEDA mural of a lion now graces the side of a Dunedin building. The image on the Mansfield Apartments building at the corner of Bond and Liverpool Sts was created by SwiftMantis, of Palmerston North. The artist had intended to depict a British bulldog (above), but animal welfare groups raised objections, highlighting the breed’s respiratory issues. The building formerly displayed Love is in the Air (above), painted by Polish street artist Natalia Rak in May 2015, showing a girl giving a boy a kiss as he holds a lollipop. That mural was painted over in 2024 so the wall could be repaired.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 19, 2026 17:25 UTC