Stanley Chow fills the Arndale with 13 giant inflatable Manchester icons for a free summer trail

There's a fair chance you've seen a Stanley Chow portrait this week without knowing it was one. Our new PM, Andy Burnham, uses a Chow illustration as his avatar, featuring the same bold, pared-back style that's become renowned as his own. And now the man behind it is going properly big.

Manchester, let's be honest, is having a moment. With Burnham now in Number 10 and the whole country's eyes turned north, there's rarely been a better time to throw a giant celebration for the city and the people who built its reputation. (And did you know, it's Creative Boom's home, too?)

From now until 24 October 2026, Manchester Arndale is home to MCR Made, a free exhibition of Stan's work that fills the shopping centre with the city's favourite faces. Follow the trail, and you'll find 13 towering inflatable portraits. Some up to six metres long, suspended above the shops, each one a Mancunian who has, in some way, helped shape the place and the wider world.

The line-up: Liam and Noel Gallagher, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Emmeline Pankhurst, Alan Turing, L.S. Lowry, Lemn Sissay, Caroline Aherne and Aitch among them. Everyone from scientists to actors, floating overhead, waiting to be snapped and shared on Instagram. Naturally, there's a social competition attached, with photo spots dotted along the route.

For Stan, this one clearly means something. "The Arndale Centre for me is my Mecca, and I'm sure it is for so many people from Manchester," he says. "I'm old enough to remember when it first opened as a shopping centre nearly 50 years ago, and I haven't stopped coming here since. I'm a proud Mancunian, so I was very flattered and touched to be asked to do this. Art needs to be seen everywhere, and not always necessarily in a gallery. I can't think of a better place for as many people as possible from all walks of life to be able to see my work presented this way."

Born and raised in the city, Stan has spent years turning musicians, footballers, actors and politicians into portraits that have earned him fans well beyond the UK. His recent subjects include Burnham himself, Jude Bellingham, Count Binface and the late David Hockney. He's long been a favourite here at Creative Boom, too. He used to have an office above us in the same building. And we'd often pass him on the stairs.

Anyone creative instantly recognises a Stanley Chow portrait. It's the sharp lines and geometric takes on famous names that are the big giveaway. But it's also the way he catches the character behind the face. Among my circle of friends, we love to share Rightmove listings we've spotted his work in. I've got one of his artworks myself: an Anthony Bourdain, proudly hung in my happiest place – the kitchen. He watches over us as we cook. But also makes me smile every time I look at it. Knowing the artist personally makes it all the more special.

There's a lovely bit of new work in the mix as well. Especially for MCR Made, Stan has illustrated an exclusive portrait of Ellen Wilkinson. Born in Manchester in 1891, Wilkinson was a suffragette, a women's rights campaigner and the first female Education Secretary in the British cabinet.

Her portrait ties into the centre's 'Ask for Ellen' initiative, which offers free sanitary products to anyone who needs them. Launched in 2022 in response to research showing that many girls in the UK were missing school due to period poverty, it honours Wilkinson's lifelong fight for girls' right to an education. A quiet, thoughtful thread running through a very loud, joyful exhibition.

"Manchester has always been a city that outperforms and exceeds expectations," says David Allinson, centre director at Manchester Arndale. "Through music, sport, science, politics, creativity and innovation, Manchester's influence is recognised around the world, and MCR Made celebrates the icons whose talent, ambition and determination helped build that reputation. The exhibition feels particularly at home inside Manchester Arndale, itself a Manchester institution that has been woven into the city's fabric for almost five decades."

If you fancy taking a piece of it home, you can. Manchester Arndale is giving away 26 limited-edition A4 prints signed by Chow – two of each icon, allocated to winners at random. To enter, follow @manchesterarndale on Instagram and like the competition post.

MCR Made runs at Manchester Arndale from now until 24 October 2026. Entry is free, so go and find your favourite Mancunian, and don't forget to look up.