Mystery artist Emo donates work to support Ormesby church

Emo Raphiel Astoria's artwork From the Heart. (Image: Archant)

Mystery artist Emo, who made a name for himself locally when he painted the White Lady on a bus stop in Gorleston, donated original sketches to Ormesby St Michael church at the weekend, delighting organisers of the annual art exhibition with his generosity.

The two pieces, One from the Heart and Teddy Girl, went on sale alongside a host of other pictures by local artists to raise money for St Michael's.

Churchwarden Betty Gidney approached Emo about displaying art at the church after reading about his Girl on a Swing street art on a garage in Euston Road, Great Yarmouth. While the White Lady in Magdalen Way was painted over by Great Yarmouth Borough Council who classed it as unauthorised graffiti, the silhouette Girl on a Swing was commissioned and is admired by passers-by every day.

Betty, who made contact with Emo through the care home that own the garage, said: 'I managed to get in contact with him via email but I said I didn't want to know who he was. 'It's quite exciting that he is a mystery.

An image of a little girl on a swing which has been painted onto a garage in Great Yarmouth by the artist known as EMO.Picture: James Bass (Image: Archant Norfolk © 2014)

'I asked if he could possibly give us a sketch or something, not really expecting to hear anything back. I was so pleased when he replied and said he would donate two pieces. He asked what kind of themes we'd like and a few days later these two beautiful sketches arrived.'

The sketches, in Emo's recognisable Banksy-inspired style, were silently auctioned with a reserve of £150 each.

The exhibition at St Michael's, which took place on Sunday, also featured work by local schoolchildren, hobby and professional artists living across the borough.

The next event at the church will be a craft fair, again celebrating local skills, from 10am to 4pm on September 6.