Rapper Aitch has apologised after the iconic Ian Curtis mural in Manchester was painted over with his album artwork.
The mural of the Joy Division singer, who took his own life in 1978, was painted in October 2019 by artist Akse P19 to commemorate World Mental Health Day.
However, this August, pictures of the mural being painted over with an advert for Aitch’s album Close to Home went viral online.
Aitch met with backlash over Ian Curtis mural
Curtis’s bandmate Peter Hook responded to the picture of of the mural being covered up, writing on Twitter that it was ‘very sad to see,’ and he will ‘miss’ seeing it on his drives into Manchester.
Meanwhile, the artist, Akse P19, shared the picture on his Instagram account. He wrote that, although he doesn’t personally ‘have anything against hand-painted advertising,’ the mural had become ‘a cultural landmark and meant so much to people from Manchester and beyond.’
This will not be the first mural Akse P19 has had to restore. In 2021, he repaired his painting of England football star Marcus Rashford after it was defaced.
‘It doesn’t take much common sense to understand that this mural should have remained for what it represented and stood for,’ he said of the Curtis piece, explaining that it was painted in collaboration with Headstock UK, and was supported by Manchester City Council and Sweet Nothing MCR.
Rapper apologises for mural cover-up
Following the backlash, Aitch took to Twitter to share an apology for the situation. He tweeted:
‘It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork. This is the first time I’ve heard of this, me and my team are getting this fixed pronto. No way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.’
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, responded to Aitch’s tweet, giving his ‘respect’ to the musician, writing: ‘It should never have happened and he shouldn’t have been put in this position. Ian is a true icon of our city. He must be fully restored and left in his place for time in memoriam. Thanks to everyone for showing what Ian means to us.’