mural fem van empel Den Dungen

A bet between father and daughter that culminates in a 25-meter-wide mural. The mural honoring Fem van Empel in Den Dungen has a story that began years before the first spray can was even picked up.

Fem used to walk regularly with her father, Paul, past the graffiti wall by the canal. Before the 2023 Cyclocross World Championships, he promised her a spot on that wall if she became world champion. Fem won gold. A promise is a promise.

From world title to 25 meters of street art

What started as a bet eventually grew into a major art project. After a process involving permits and site preparation, Roy Valk from MooieMuur could get to work. Over five days and using around two hundred spray cans, the massive mural took shape near the Dungense Bridge in Den Dungen. 

For Roy, the project was also artistically unique. The design brings together two aspects of his work rarely seen in a single mural: old-school graffiti lettering and realistic portraiture combine to form one cohesive image.

The location completes the story. The mural stands right near the route Fem and her father walked together for years, at the junction of the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the Máxima Canal. Her name is now truly displayed on the very wall where it all began as a joke.

At the unveiling, Fem described the artwork as a special form of recognition and expressed the hope that it might inspire young boys and girls with sporting dreams. 

A story worthy of a mural?

Some murals start with a brand or a campaign. Others involve a place, person, or story that deserves to be made visible. MooieMuur translates such stories into large-scale art—from the creative concept and technical preparation to the final on-site mural.