My Thai Restaurant Manchester Piccadilly Black Light Art and Graffiti Interior Artist Transformation
- Client: My Thai Restaurant
- Location: Manchester Piccadilly, One Portland Street, UK
- Theme: Pop Art, Black Light, Street Art, vibrant Song Wat Bangkok-inspired fusion
- Dimensions: Approx. 80m² of wall space transformed
- Paint Duration: 10 days
- Materials: Primer, acrylic paints, paint pens, spray paints, assorted caps and nibs, and more
- Objective: To transform the restaurant interior into a visually immersive experience, blending pop art, street art, and black light graffiti to capture the vibrant, bustling energy of Bangkok’s Song Wat area. Each wall, counter, and feature was designed and painted to create a unique atmosphere that engages guests and makes the space truly memorable.
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Project overview and spaces
As an artist specialising in black light art, graffiti murals, and pop art-inspired street art, it was an absolute pleasure to work on the complete interior transformation of My Thai Restaurant in the heart of Manchester Piccadilly. This project was a unique opportunity to combine my skills as a graffiti mural artist, black light painter, and digital illustrator to deliver a vibrant neon, immersive environment that truly stands out.
Over the course of ten days, I transformed the restaurant’s large interior spaces, approximately 100 square meters of floor space with walls reaching up to 4 metres high, into a UV-reactive fusion of Bangkok-inspired street scenes, pop art, and black light murals. Every detail was carefully planned through digital mock-ups and mood boards, allowing me to act not only as the artist but also as an interior design consultant, advising on the optimal placement and installation of the black lights themselves to maximise the impact of the work.
The design takes its main inspiration from Bangkok’s famously vibrant Song Wat Road, an eclectic district known for its energy, colour, and urban buzz. The goal was to capture the funky, playful spirit of Bangkok’s street life, bursting with bold patterns, layered textures, and eclectic details, while adapting it into a modern restaurant setting in Manchester. The result is a vibrant, social space that feels both authentically Thai and uniquely contemporary.
My Thai Restaurant, Manchester, Piccadilly in daylight
Space 1 – Black Light Reactive Paint On Glass Entrance
The entrance sets the tone for the restaurant with large glass walls painted using specialist black light acrylics and paint pens. Spanning approximately 3m by 3m on either side of the entrance, and a glass panel above the inner double doors (1.6m x 1.1m), the design fuses UV-reactive pop art, street scenes, and playful illustrations.
Visitors can discover hidden details such as Yaaksha giants, Thai dragons, street cats dreaming of fish, muay thai fighters, 7-Eleven signs, and Thai script. The glass neon murals create a dynamic, immersive experience that evolves under black light, drawing the eye and inviting guests to explore every corner of the artwork.
Space 2 – Impressionist Style Black Light Paint Murals
Within the main dining space, I painted four separate panels (approx 24m² combined surface area), controlled expressive splashes of paint reminiscent of Monet’s impressionism with trippy, glowing galaxy-style black light effects. These murals appear elegant and subtle in natural light yet burst into vibrant neon colours under UV illumination, providing diners with a unique visual and dining experience.
Space 3 – Corrugated Metal Bar and Kitchen Counters
The bar and kitchen counters feature a fusion of old and modern Bangkok imagery. The bar itself blends sunset orange gradients fading into yellow, overlaid with silhouettes of traditional Siamese temples, while the counter presents a dreamy purple and pink cityscape of modern Bangkok. Both murals are fluorescent under black light, forming a yin-yang visual narrative of dawn and dusk, old and new. Painting on corrugated metal was challenging, but using high-quality spray paints and freehand techniques, I achieved smooth, dynamic results.
Space 4 – Pop Art Feature Wall
A key highlight is a 2m x 4m pop art feature wall, showcasing a stylised Thai girl in traditional costume, winking and flashing a peace sign. Painted freehand with high quality uv-reactive spray paints, this mural combines my signature black light reactive pop art style making it a vibrant focal point for the dining area.
Space 5 – High-Level Abstract Pop Art and Graffiti Fusion
The wall above the bar and kitchen counters, visible from every angle of the restaurant, spans 7m wide by 1.5m high. Here, I blended abstract pop art with graffiti and black light neon effects, inspired by artists like Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Andy Warhol. I incorporated 3D-style mock neon tube paint effect and playful motifs including a red Swing Gate, stylised Naga serpent, cute elephant, palm tree, and neon 7-Eleven sign. The result ensures the space feels energetic and engaging as per the client brief.
Space 6 – Street Style Multi-Layered Wheat Paste Column
Connecting the upper abstract graffiti area with the corrugated metal bar and kitchen counters below, I designed a large square column covered in multi-layered wheat paste street art. This piece mimics the bold, tongue-in-cheek aesthetics of iconic street artists such as JR, Shepard Fairey, Banksy, and D*Face. Each element on the column was carefully designed. The final layers still create a visually striking, thought-provoking urban composition.
The column features two exposed sides: one approximately 1.5m high, the other around 2.5m high, each meticulously assembled with the wheat paste pieces to create depth and dynamic texture, giving the impression of authentic street layering. This column adds a tactile, interactive element to the venue’s interior, inviting visitors to explore and discover the multiple layers of urban storytelling.
Space 7 – Black Light Graffiti Pop Art Toilet Doors
Even the bathrooms became an immersive black light experience. Both the ladies’ and gents’ fire doors were transformed into vibrant graffiti-pop art fusion statements.
The ladies’ door features a stylised Thai lady in traditional costume, chatting on a mobile phone, while the gents’ door depicts a humanised Yaaksha giant in traditional attire holding a spray can and sporting a bling chain with a dollar sign. Both characters embody a playful blend of traditional Thai culture and modern hip-hop aesthetics, executed in a black light cartoon style.
Due to the fire door surface, careful preparation was essential. I sanded and lightly textured the smooth laminate finish, primed, then sprayed the backgrounds using high-quality spray paints. Details were refined with Molotow paint pens, and the doors were finished with a semi-gloss lacquer for durability and lasting vibrancy. In normal light, they look striking, but under black light they truly pop, creating a memorable, immersive element within the venue.
Space 8 – Secret Logo Space
Hidden in a narrow 40cm sliver between the feature wall and timber partition, this vertical surprise faced the street rather than the venue interior. I carefully freehand traced the venue’s logo to fit this unique space, positioning each letter on its own line from top to bottom. The resulting design features fiery red letters with fine textural detail, creating a “spicy” glowing visual effect that ties into the restaurant’s identity.
Even the owner was surprised by this hidden feature, making it a playful, secret Easter egg for anyone looking closely. This subtle yet impactful intervention shows how strategic placement and creative execution can make even the smallest spaces feel integrated into a venue’s overarching black light narrative.
Materials and Process
The project utilised a variety of black light reactive paints, acrylics, paint pens, and high-quality spray paints. Every space was digitally designed and mock-ups approved prior to painting, ensuring a seamless blend of concept and execution. Despite the tight timeframe, the result is a fully immersive, visually striking environment ready in time for the restaurant’s grand opening.
Bring Your Space to Life with intergalactic artist ViNNi KiNiKi
Are you looking for a custom black light mural for a restaurant, bar, or retail space, or need a graffiti artist to transform your interiors, I can deliver bespoke designs that fuse street art, pop art, and UV-reactive effects. From concept design and digital mock-ups to high-quality mural execution, I create spaces that are both immersive and unforgettable.
Want to light up your venue with custom black light murals or graffiti art? Contact me today and let’s make your space glow!
