WHAT’S the link between a Wickford street artist and Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Sun Kyi?

Acclaimed artist Daniel Kitchener has just unveiled a huge portrait of the 65-year-old campaigner on a wall in Brighton.

The 36ft high portrait created by Mr Kitchener, 36, of Nevendon Road, Wickford, pays homage to the 65-year-old campaigner, who spent 15 years under house arrest in Burma.

Mr Kitchener was asked to weave his artistic magic and create the eye-catching mural, filling the entire gable end of a house, for the Brighton Festival, during which which Aung San Sun Kyi is being made an honorary freewoman of the city.

Mr Kitchener was helped in the marathon task by fellow urban artists, who are known as Snub23 and Sinna1.

He said: “I painted the portrait itself and light effects and Snub23 and Sinna1 created the amazing background and huge stencils of the towers and all the letters.

“The image took me about six hours to paint and a few hours to help the other guys with the background. We used a scissor lift and Kobra spray paint to create the mural.

“It was an awesome day’s painting.

“I was told Aung San Sun Kyi was aware of the fact we were painting this, and I think it got mentioned on Radio Asia as well.”