The rugby superstar is working with a former construction manager to put public artwork at the centre of building projects. He speaks to Will Mann
Maro Itoje is used to building teams on the rugby field; now the Saracens, England and British & Irish Lions captain is bringing people together through art – connecting construction projects with local communities and artists.
With Akoje Gallery, which he co-founded with former construction manager Khalil Akar, Itoje is helping developers and contractors strengthen relationships with local communities – through designs on construction site hoardings and art installations in public spaces and completed developments.
“We see an opportunity to work with developers on their community and social engagement through the means of art,” Itoje tells CM in an exclusive interview. “We reached out to a couple of companies and found out there was huge interest in creating artwork like this to support their ESG objectives. We also see a huge public good aspect to this work.”
Akoje recently began a creative collaboration with developer Federated Hermes to transform the construction hoardings surrounding the St Mary Le Port development site in Bristol into a public artwork celebrating the city’s cultural identity. The gallery worked with local artist Lucy Oates to develop the designs, turning the site hoarding into a large-scale public artwork.
Itoje says: “This project is about more than aesthetics – it’s about creating a connection between a development site and the community around it. By working with local artists and young people, we’ve been able to turn a temporary structure into something that celebrates Bristol’s identity and creativity.”
Akar, a civil engineering graduate who spent four years with ISG, adds: “Art has the power to transform building projects. Our collaboration with Federated Hermes will bring a sense of ownership to the area during this period of change while construction progresses.”
Akoje is also working with Federated Hermes on two sculptures at Silverstone Park, to be completed ahead of this year’s British Grand Prix. Here, the focus of the artwork is sustainability, with the sculpture commissioned incorporating recycled materials sourced from local businesses, including metal components and cabling.
Itoje says such projects demonstrate how art can help construction companies address environmental and social objectives simultaneously. “In construction there’s a lot of waste, raw material, offcuts,” he says. “We’re interested in how we can incorporate some of that within artworks.”
Itoje and Akar met in 2020 at an art exhibition and started discussing ways they could work together. Those conversations led to Akoje Gallery and the non-profit Akoje Residency, which was launched to support artists from African and Caribbean diaspora communities and has since expanded internationally.
The work with Federated Hermes came through a contact of Akar’s and now the pair are keen to partner with other developers and contractors on similar art projects. “If there’s a way we can support other construction companies with their ESG objectives and business goals, through the medium of public art, we’d love them to get in touch,” says Itoje.
