A powerful new public mural by Irish artist Joe Caslin has been unveiled in Dublin city centre, bringing themes of identity, resilience and visibility into one of the capital’s busiest streets.

Titled ‘SEEN’, the 50ft mural has been installed at 180-187 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, and was created in collaboration with LGBTQ+ Ukrainian refugees and migrants living in Ireland. Produced in Caslin’s distinctive style of large-scale monochrome paper drawings pasted directly onto buildings, the artwork depicts a young trans man standing upright while pierced by arrows representing the harm inflicted by external forces. Despite the symbolism of violence and discrimination, the figure’s calm expression and unwavering gaze communicate strength and dignity.

The mural is the result of more than a year of development, including six months of workshops, gallery visits and collaborative design sessions involving 12 participants from the Irish Red Cross Ukrainian Community Centre. Throughout the process, participants explored themes of identity, belonging, displacement, visibility and resilience, helping to shape an artwork rooted in lived experience rather than artistic interpretation alone.

Commissioned through the EU4Health Programme’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, ‘SEEN’ was designed as a wellbeing-focused project that encouraged creativity, connection and community while offering participants an opportunity to tell their stories through public art. The finished mural reflects not only individual experiences but also the collective resilience of a community that remains underrepresented in Ireland’s public spaces.

 

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Caslin has become one of Ireland’s most recognisable public artists, known for transforming intricate pencil drawings into monumental installations that engage directly with social issues.

His work has previously addressed subjects including marriage equality, suicide prevention, homelessness, addiction, immigration, consent and gender-based violence. His best-known mural, ‘The Claddagh Embrace’, became an enduring symbol of the 2015 Marriage Referendum after depicting two men embracing on a Dublin city building.

 

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Speaking ahead of the unveiling of the mural, Joe Caslin said: “SEEN is ultimately about visibility. Not visibility as spectacle, but visibility as recognition – the simple act of acknowledging that someone is there, that their story matters, and that they belong.

“Over six months, I had the privilege of working alongside an extraordinary group of people who brought honesty, courage and creativity to every stage of the process. The artwork reflects their experiences, but it also speaks to something universal: the importance of being seen, heard and valued.

“Still, 11 years on from The Claddagh Embrace ahead to the 2015 marriage equality referendum, I am interested in how art can create space for conversation and bring people together. I hope this artwork can do the same”

One of the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ participants described the collaboration as both educational and deeply personal.

“Working with Joe was a valuable opportunity to explore and express our identities through art,” they said. “It was a new and meaningful experience for everyone in the group, helping us learn more about the history of the LGBTQIA+ community in Ireland while building a strong sense of connection and belonging with one another.”

The project was developed with support from ShoutOut, TENI, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Arts Council of Ireland and LGBT Ireland, alongside several Dublin City councillors and Dublin City Council’s Arts and Cultural Advisory Group.