Local Artist Creates Super Hero Theme For Irwin Mitchell

Bristol-based Irwin Mitchell Solicitors will be joining in the fun when their very own life-sized gorilla ‘Irwin’ is unveiled as part of the public art event Wow! Gorillas which will see life size ape statues take over the streets of Bristol.

The law firm is supporting Bristol Zoo’s 175th anniversary celebrations in which artists use their creative talents, with the gorillas used as a ‘blank canvas.’ All money raised from sponsorship will support gorilla conservation projects and Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, which raises funds for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Local artist Vivi Cuevas has created a ‘Super Hero’ theme for Irwin Mitchell Solicitors’ gorilla who has appropriately been named ‘Irwin’.
 
Irwin the gorilla arrives at One Castle Park, home to the Bristol offices of Irwin Mitchell, on Monday 27th June ready for the big unveiling and will stay for the week before being moved to Millennium Square.

The gorilla will be welcomed by the legal team and will be officially unveiled at 1.30pm by the artist, Vivi and Irwin Mitchell’s regional managing partner, Jonathan Peacock. Other guests attending are Leo Birch from Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal, Adriana Dorsett, the Artist Liaison of the Wow! Gorillas project and Julie Lewis, partner and medical law expert with Irwin Mitchell Solicitors.

Wow! Gorillas will officially launch on Monday 4th July with a grand reception at the Radisson Blu Hotel where sponsors and guests, will witness the spectacular arrival of a selection of the gorillas.

Vivi Cuevas, who was born in Chile but now lives in Bristol, commented: “I always try to send a positive message through my art with a bit of fun and in this case, it’s exactly what Irwin represents to me. I would love people to just have fun with Irwin, with the idea that he has a suit on and that he can fly. But I would also love
people to reflect on who this super hero gorilla is going to save? In this case it is all the apes and their habitats on our planet with bringing love, awareness and consciousness to the people on earth.”

Jonathan Peacock, Managing Partner with Irwin Mitchell’s Bristol office commented: “We are very excited about supporting Bristol Zoo’s 175th anniversary. Our new mascot has already created a talking point in the local area. The sponsorship will help raise money for much needed gorilla conservation projects and will bring residents, visitors, schools, artists and businesses together for a truly memorable art experience.”

Throughout the summer a total of 60 hand painted gorillas will be displayed across the Greater Bristol region for 10 weeks. There will also be over 100 small gorillas around the city, which have been sponsored and decorated by local schools. The large gorilla sculptures will be auctioned off in September to raise money for gorilla conservation and Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal in aid of the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. The small gorilla sculptures will be returned to their respective schools to keep.