Diesel Streets: A Peterborough Wall Story is a major solo exhibition by local street artist Nathan ‘Nyces’ Murdoch, charting over two decades of graffiti, mural culture, and lived experience on the walls of Peterborough.
Opening to the public from 7 February to 23 May 2026 at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery, the exhibition presents a raw and visually powerful narrative of a city told through spray paint, memory, and survival.
Blending large-scale works, archival material, and newly created pieces, Diesel Streets documents the evolution of Peterborough’s street art scene from its industrial backstreets to its present-day cultural relevance. Murdoch’s work is unapologetically local, rooted in estates, shuttered shops, underpasses, and forgotten corners - yet speaks to universal themes of identity, class, belonging, and resilience.
More than a retrospective, Diesel Streets functions as a social document. The exhibition gives voice to communities often excluded from traditional gallery spaces, capturing the tension between legality and expression, vandalism and value, neglect and pride. Murdoch reframes graffiti not as defacement, but as testimony - evidence of who was there, what they felt, and why it mattered.
Alongside the exhibition, a free programme of artist-led workshops and talks will be delivered for audiences of all ages, enabling engagement with street art, opportunities to meet the artist, and creative participation, supported by Arts Council funding.
Exhibition highlights:
• A dedicated tribute to Y2SK8, a formative hub of Peterborough’s subcultural landscape, recognising its influence on skate, graffiti, and youth culture
• An interactive installation inviting visitors to put their name on a train, echoing graffiti traditions of visibility, presence, and legacy
• Artist talks, held on Friday evenings throughout the exhibition, starting with ‘In Conversation with Nathan Murdoch' on Friday 13 February, 6pm – 8pm
• Artist-led workshops during April Easter holidays, engaging young people and emerging creatives
• New, previously unseen works created specifically for the exhibition
• Archival graffiti photography and street documentation spanning over 20 years
This solo exhibition featuring large-scale works, mixed-media pieces, photographic documentation, immersive installations, and archive material has been funded by Arts Council England, supported by Peterborough Positive, and partnered with Gladstone Connect.
Artist Nathan Murdoch, said:
“Diesel Streets isn’t about glorifying graffiti - it’s about telling a story that inspired a generation of artists like me. The stories written on these walls raised me as much as any classroom. This show is my flowers for Peterborough’s subculture - a culture that forever changed my life.”
Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery, commented:
“We’ve worked with Nathan Murdoch at Street Arts Hire for many years. We first discussed the possibility of a solo exhibition back in 2020 when Nathan worked with us on our exhibition, Urban. Nathan is a proud Peterborian and his work highlights the creativity and positivity in a city that is often overlooked in terms of its artistic output. We are delighted to be able to showcase Nathan's work and bring street art into a gallery space.”
Pep Cipriano, Chief Operating Officer of Peterborough Positive, said:
“One of our core objectives as a Business Improvement District is to create a more vibrant and welcoming city centre, and it has been a pleasure to work with Nathan on several pieces that bring that shared vision to life.
Street art has become a powerful part of Peterborough’s visual identity, telling authentic stories about our city, its people, and its past. Diesel Streets: A Peterborough Wall Story celebrates our street art scene and showcases the power of transforming everyday spaces into engaging cultural landmarks for everyone to enjoy.”