Making the Unseen Unmissable

Known for creating artwork reflecting social, cultural and climate justice issues, Sarah Bracken Soper's work is designed to be thought provoking and start a conversation.

Taking inspiration from the fact that family homelessness can often be an unseen issue, the piece features two women locked in an embrace with one clearly visible while the other appears as a shadow.

Her street art creates an illustrated image from base photography and uses paste-up technique to create the piece in accelerated time.

This mural was installed under cover of darkness so that on the morning of Focus Ireland's Shine A Light fundraising Sleep Out for family homelessness on October 11 2024.

The figure that is ‘seen’ represents the empathy and generosity of the Irish public while the ‘unseen’ shadow figure embodies the mothers of the thousands of families trapped in hidden homelessness.

At present there are 2,099 families experiencing homelessness in Ireland of which 4,419 are children. Many of these families are based in unsuitable emergency accommodation, where living spaces can be confined to one room. The effects of this crisis are deeply felt all year round, and every day spent without a place to call home takes away a child’s sense of security and belonging.  

 “I believe that the creation of art is an essential process in our understanding of the world and a crucial tool for change and recovery. I hope anyone experiencing homelessness today in our society is able to draw some comfort from knowing there are many of us who care and are willing to take action.” - Sarah Bracken Soper