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A mural of a traditional Welsh woman, complete with a beard and moustache, has been saved after a "significant" number of calls were made calling for it to stay.

Artist Phil Morgan said he was contacted by art gallery Abacus telling him Cardiff council had requested he paint over the artwork because a complaint had been made saying it was offensive.

The illustration, painted on to the wall of the art gallery in Wood Street, Cardiff, shows a traditional Welsh woman with a beard, moustache and bright red cheeks and lips.

The character, who also holds a daffodil and a can of Brains beer, is wearing a traditional Welsh bonnet inscribed with the words “Dude looks like a Welsh lady”.

Phil, 36, from Pontcanna, said the complainant had reportedly found the artwork offensive to Welsh women by associating them with depictions of “lad culture” such as a beer can.

He said this is despite the mural being in place on the gallery’s wall for eight months without any other complaints being made.

The words on the Welsh hat in the artwork took inspiration from the 1987 song Dude (Looks Like a Lady) by US rock band Aerosmith.

Phil contacted WalesOnline and social media to drum up support for the artwork.

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'It's a lovely painting'

Arielle Tye, from Pro-Mo Cymru the body which funds the Abacus project, and project manager for the gallery, said: “We have a really good relationship with Cardiff Council because they have donated the building to us rent-free.

“Some time ago their complaints department received a call from an elderly gentleman who was quite upset about the mural and that complaint was forwarded to us.

The Empty Walls project in Roath:

“We decided it was maybe best to remove it as a result, but the artist was understandably upset about that.

“So the situation currently is that we have gone back to Cardiff Council and are awaiting instruction from them.

“It’s a lovely painting but we will do whatever the council tells us to.”

'Significant' number of calls

A spokesman for Cardiff council said: “We can confirm that a member of the public did complain about the artwork in question, however, since that complaint the council has also received a significant number of calls from the public requesting this image isn’t removed.

"Consequently it has been decided that the artwork can remain in place. This work was part the Empty Walls project which saw artists create works on buildings across the city last year.

"It’s important to point out that none of these works are permanent and weren’t designed to be. All interested parties will be informed of the decision.”