Braille Bench

Project Title:

Braille Bench

Location:

Above Bar Street, Southampton

Commissioned:

September 2020

Supported by:

Solent university & Southampton City Council

Mr Dot brought his bold and inclusive visual language to the
streets of Southampton in September 2020 with the creation
of a striking public installation: the Braille Bench.

Installed along Above Bar Street, this everyday bench was
transformed into a public artwork through the power of
braille and colour. Each line of dots—painted in bright,
accessible hues of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and
purple—spells out a message in braille, readable by a key
which is painted on the back. The piece challenges the
public to rethink how accessibility and aesthetics can
intersect in the urban landscape.
This project was part of a wider initiative to reimagine
public spaces in a post-COVID world—inviting connection,
inclusivity, and engagement in unexpected ways.

“Public art should be
for everyone. This
bench isn’t just for
sitting—it’s for
feeling, reading, and
thinking differently.”
– Clarke Reynolds

As a visually impaired artist, Clarke’s mission is to make
braille not only a tool for literacy, but a language of public
art. The Braille Bench stands as a beacon of inclusivity,
sparking conversation and encouraging the sighted world to
see—and feel—through a new lens.

Featured in local press and embraced by the community, the
Braille Bench remains a powerful example of how street
furniture can become street story telling.