New Paul Curtis mural pays tribute to Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams

Liverpool artist Paul Curtis unveiled a huge mural in tribute to Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams this week and said he felt connected to her when doing the piece.

Curtis, who has multiple pieces of work around the city, including the popular For All Liverpool’s Liver Birds (Wings) in the Baltic Triangle, was commissioned by Rupen Ganatra, a friend of Anne and her family.

Location: The mural is on the side of a building owned by Mr Ganatra on Anfield Road.

Anne’s 15-year-old son Kevin was one of the 97 Liverpool supporters unlawfully killed during the disaster in 1989. She fought for justice for more than two decades and died aged 60 of cancer in 2013.

An ITV drama about her life is to be aired later this year.

Curtis spent two days painting the mural, putting down layers of primers, masonry and acrylic paint and finally varnish.

Connection

He told LiverpoolWorld: “Anyone from Liverpool has some sort of link with Hillsborough. It defines this city to some extent. It was a terrible tragedy but what Anne did as a person was something really positive.

“I felt really connected to her doing this piece and the way she lived her life is a lesson in perseverance and standing up against the odds.

“Rupen knew there were lots of football related murals in the area and had a spark of imagination over a year ago and said: ‘Let’s do a mural of Anne’. With everything that has happened during the pandemic and fans coming back to Anfield, we thought it was the right time.”

Mr Ganatra said: “Anne was absolutely fearless in taking on the establishment on her own, whether through the UK or European courts, and was a totally inspirational figure to me and many other people in this city and beyond.”

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