A WELL-respected Brighton-based graffiti artist has been commemorated with a 100-metre long memorial.

Jon Mummery, who lived in Worthing during his childhood, lost his life-long battle with cystic fibrosis at the age of 41 earlier this year, leaving his wife Ismay and four-year old son Dylan.

Jon and a group of friends known as Da Freeze Mob (DFM), which includes world-renowned artist Req, are credited as being some of the first artists to utilise the wall at Black Rock in Brighton during the 80s.

Their work was described as pushing the boundaries of graffiti and some of their work was included in publicity stills for the hit US show Breaking Bad.

After Mr Mummery’s death, family and friends set about constructing a 100-metre long graffiti memorial at the Black Rock site, which is part of the Brighton Sand Sculpture Festival.

Contributors included DFM and Mr Mummery’s son, Dylan.

Mrs Mummery said: “Art was always very important to Jon. It was his dying wish for his coffin to be graffitied.”

Jon studied animation at Bournemouth University before he began creating art at Black Rock in 1987. He started working for Aardman Animation in the 1990s and began a career in computer game design, winning three Baftas for his work.

Mrs Mummery said: “Black Rock was an important place for Jon and was a key place for him to express himself.

“It is a way for Dylan and I to remember Jon and a good way for Dylan to learn more about his father.

“Regrettably I never had the chance to see my husband’s graffiti, but this memorial has helped me discover a whole new side to him.”

She added: “Jon’s parents were told when he was diagnosed that he would not reach his teens.

“He died at the age of 41 and during that time lived his life to the very fullest.

“He never thought he would marry let alone have a child. Yet we had our son, Dylan, after four cycles of IVF as Jon’s condition meant we couldn’t have a family naturally.”

Black Rock continues to be a popular site for graffiti artists to express themselves.

Mrs Mummery has set up a fund in memory of her late husband with all proceeds going to Glenfield General Hospital in Leicester, where Jon was treated in the weeks before his death.

Mrs Mummery said: “Sufferers of cystic fibrosis like Jon spend a lot of time in hospital and I wanted to raise money to make the hospital experience more homely and comfortable for them.”

Glenfield hospital needs £25,000 to refurbish their cystic fibrosis ward. So far, Mrs Mummery’s fund has raised more than £7,000.

Donations can be made at http://www.justgiving.com/in-memory-of-jon-mummery.