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“The Man on the Stone” by Jofre Oliveras in Aberdeen, Scotland
Spanish muralist and activist Jofre Oliveras decided to explore what nationalism means in 2022 for his Nuart Aberdeen mural. Located on Frederick Street, his large-scale painting depicts a man who’s holding a flag – but the flag is covering his face.Exploring the concept of Nationalism, the man on the stone, blinded by the flag is denied a perspective on anything else. It’s this “perspective on anything else”, that lifts it beyond bipartisan politics into a more universal realm. Which is probably just as well in the UK at the moment.“The flag is not letting this man see and have perspective,” said Jofre. The talented artist wanted to investigate the paradox of “being more global than ever but also being more isolated”.Take a look below for more photo’s of “The Man on the Stone” Photos by Brian Tallman; Doug Gillen; Clarke Joss Photography; Conor Gault More
- in Street Art
Mural by Helen Bur in Aberdeen, Scotland
Nuart Festival alumni Helen Bur, was the final artist in residence to add to Nuart’s 2021 run of city-wide mural art in Aberdeen, an antidote to the lack of art-related initiatives taking place during the events of the last 17 months. Bur was commissioned by Nuart to bring her traditionally-influenced, narratively-poetic style to the walls starting in the last week of July. A British-born and currently London-based artist, Bur has made her name in perfecting the mesmerising depth of figurative oil work on canvas, then transferring those techniques to urban settings, using emulsion on a vastly larger scale. As for her subjects, Bur chooses to present figures captured in snapshots of their lives – unexplained moments of oddity and curiosity, sometimes unsettling, others farcical – that focus in on the moment, the reaction to it and a sense of mystery without context. “After the murals I painted of Alice and Hugo there two years ago were demolished, the team kindly invited me back and I thought it was only right to bring back Ally and Hugo, with their new addition, Ruby-Rae! This painting is a tribute to them, their endless kindness, a homage to gentle power and taking up space with softness and femininity” artist Helen Bur stated.Bur’s piece can be found on Union Wynd, and stands tall at over 16 meters high, a mammoth final flourish for Nuart Aberdeen Summer 2021. Check out below for more photos of the mural. Photo credits: Clake Joss Photography More
- in Street Art
“Pulling Faces” by Fanakapan in Aberdeen, Scotland
The Dorset-born, London-based street artist Fanakapan brought a smile to Aberdeen this week – two in fact – with his perspective-defying street art, the fifth artist to appear for Nuart Aberdeen Summer 2021.Fanakapan is the latest ‘artist in residence’ in the Granite City curated by Nuart to bring new life to its walls.With a background in prop making, Fanakapan began creating hyper realistic visuals of real life objects in the early 2000’s. Free-hand yet technical, eye-catching but with literal and metaphorical depth, Fanakapan is best known for gleaming metallic balloons floating their way across canvases and city walls around the world. His works have earned him a stellar reputation within the urban contemporary art scene.For Nuart, he added his unique style to NHS Building, the Frederick Street Clinic, with the piece ‘Pulling Faces’ a fitting goodwill message for the city and its health service.The huge smiley faces, one rendered in a ‘3D’ style while the other wears its own pair of red and blue 3D glasses, are visible on West North Street all summer long and beyond.Hit the jump for more photos of Fanakapan’s work. Photo credits: Clarke Joss More
- in Street Art
Mural by SNIK in Aberdeen, Scotland
Stencil art duo, SNIK have recently collaborated with Nuart Aberdeen Summer’s third project in this year’s residency programme. Nuart and SNIK have developed a fabulously creative and productive relationship over the last few years. This will be the second visit to Nuart Aberdeen having joined the event in 2018 where they produced the now landmark “Hold Fast Hope” mural.This years theme of “Re-Connecting” is marked by inviting several artists back to the city, a literal attempt to connect artists back to Aberdeen but also to connect citizens back to a post pandemic public space. This particular work, is a companion piece to a similar sister mural in Stavanger, also twinned with Aberdeen. Extending this idea of “re-connection” back across the North Sea.The bridge that the work is produced on connects Union Street, the city’s main high street, to Aberdeen Market, a much maligned building that is now scheduled for demolition and redevelopment. SNIK’s recent body of work has employed and embraced the idea of the ephemeral, something we know all too well in this culture. Soon the physical bridge, the market and artwork will all be gone.What’s left will be the memories of this production, the memories of the art, its digital legacy but also carried in the memory of everyone who either worked on the project or had the pleasure of experiencing it. How it haunts the new development, we’ve yet to find out, but hopefully, in the short time of its existence, it finds a way to connect the past with the future in interesting ways, much like the bridge itself.Snik is an artist duo based in Stamford, UK. Specialising in hand-cut stencil art. As two of the most progressive artists of their kind. Despite of digital techniques, Snik as a male and female partnership always remained true to the origins of their craft with complex, multi-layered and hand cut stencils. The commitment to the discipline’s heritage and their aesthetic of frozen scenes of dynamic action makes their work instantly recognisable. Their art focuses on the conventional and commonplace, such as tangled strands of hair or the textures and folds found on certain fabrics. Their focus on the ordinary elevates the subtle aspects to hint a deeper meaning.Scroll down below for more photos of SNIK’s masterpiece. Photo credite: Clake Joss Photography More
- in Street Art
Mural by Henrik Uldalen in Aberdeen, Scotland
Henrik Uldalen was the second artist to descend on The Granite City for this years Nuart Aberdeen festival, which due to covid restrictions has taken the form of a series of artist in residence projects. The festival has an ongoing series of projects that aims to give everyone a lift – by reconnecting with those spaces and places that have become a part of them.Henrik Aarrestad Uldalen (1986) is a self-taught artist whose creative production revolves around classic figurative painting, presented in a contemporary manner. Henrik explores the dark sides of life, nihilism, existentialism, longing and loneliness, juxtaposed with fragile beauty. Though a figurative painter, his focus has always been the emotional content rather than narratives. The atmospheres in his work is often presented in a dream or limbo-like state, with elements of surrealism.The artist’s practice helps him grasp his entity, expressing “I paint because I need to paint. I have always had things in my life that I need to work out, and I’ve found that the best way is to take it out in the studio.”It’s rare that Henrik works in public space, most of his time being dedicated to his studio practice, but with a background in graffiti, tackling outdoor walls is something he is also comfortable with. This will be his second mural with Nuart having joined us in Stavanger, his mother’s home town, back in 2016.Check out below for more images of Henrik’s masterpiece. Photo credits: Clarke Joss|@clarkejossphotography More
- in Street Art
KMG at Nuart Aberdeen Summer 2021, Scotland
Aberdonian mischief painter KMG kicks off Nuart’s ‘artist residency’ line-up in her home city. KMG is the first of numerous artists to take to the streets of Aberdeen for Nuart 2021, armed with raw, bright character art and a healthy dose of rebellious attitude.KMG is a Scottish based artist, illustrator, printer and painter. Her curious nature leads her work to explore themes ranging from the precarious to the mundane, often of a subversive nature. A weird combination of youthful enthusiasm mixed with utter cynicism leaves her work with a sarcastic, raw and yet playful tone.These brightly coloured & tightly stylised personalities, presented in often-raw, borderline-chaotic compositions, are used as her means of connecting with the public, and engaging them in dialogue around ignored or overlooked issues that exist within society.“We’re incredibly happy to announce that we’ll be back on the streets of Aberdeen this Summer with a series of projects we hope can give everyone a lift – by reconnecting with those spaces and places that have become a part of us” said Martyn Reed, Nuart founder and creative director.Scroll down below for more photos of KMG’s murals. Photo credits: Clarke Joss | @clarkejossphotography More
- in Art
A Small Scottish Town Delegates the Annual Christmas Light Display to Its Youngest Residents
Art#holidays
#kids
#light
#public art
#Scotland
#street artDecember 22, 2020
Grace EbertAll images via Poppy McKenzie Smith, shared with permission
In a delightful holiday tradition, the small town of Newburgh in southern Scotland tasks its youngest residents with creating the glowing Christmas decorations that adorn the streets. Now in its 19th year, the annual event begins with school-age kids submitting their quirky designs to a competition. Once a winner is chosen, the artwork is sent to Blachere Illumination to be translated into LED before it’s unveiled at a ceremony held at Lampost 15, where the new work is hung each year. The winning artist gets the honor of turning on the light, illuminating their crooked gingerbread figure or beaming reindeer for the 2,000-plus residents to enjoy. In a similarly charming practice, the runner-up’s art is featured on the town’s Christmas card. (via It’s Nice That)#holidays
#kids
#light
#public art
#Scotland
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