With Nuart set to return to bring colour to Aberdeen, it’s not hard to see why the festival is so beloved.
Artists from across the globe have travelled to take part and leave their mark on the city, and whilst it’s never easy to say goodbye to their creations, it’s always exciting to reflect and look back on their vibrant contributions to the city.
Manolo Mesa – 2023
Spanish artist Manolo Mesa was featured in Nuart Aberdeen’s 2023 festival. His mural, depicting ceramics, was displayed on Robert Gordon’s College Blackfriars building, on St Andrew Street.
The creator, who takes inspiration from the exploration of links between past and present, tradition and innovation, and abandonment and resistance, has had previous pieces of artwork displayed around the world, including Poland, Algeria and the United States.
Herakut – 2017
Prior to its demolition in 2022, the Aberdeen Market was once home to a number of businesses and dining options, and a stunning mural projected on the exterior. German-born painter Hera – real name Jasmin Siddiqui – is renowned in the world of Nuart, particularly for her ‘Because You Were the Light’ piece which she contributed in 2017 as part of the duo Herakut.
Mohamed L’Ghacham – 2022
Moroccan-born artist Mohamed L’Ghacham received a warm welcome at Nuart’s 2022 festival with the universal image of a family sitting down to dinner together. The painter was inspired by local elements, such as colour, which were incorporated into his creation on the city’s Lime Street.
James Klinge – 2022
James Klinge was featured in Nuart Aberdeen for the first time in 2022. His piece, displayed on the Ibis Hotel, depicted a woman sat perched in a call for silence, highlighting his theme of controlled chaos.
The artist has perfected his craft by taking a contemporary approach to more traditional forms of portraiture and figurative painting using hand cut stencils and spray paint. Through his work, James hopes to convey a story using either historical influences or current affairs.
Conzo & Glöbel – 2018
Glasgow-based art duo were welcomed with open arms to Aberdeen’s Nuart festival in 2018 with their Willowbank Road mural which depicted the city’s tumultuous relationship with seagulls. The artwork features a ‘Super Scurry’, a seagull in the form of an action figure, with phases alluding to the many unfortunate encounters residents have had with the gulls when it comes to consuming food.
KMG – 2021
KMG, hailing from the Granite City itself, made her Nuart debut in 2021. Her artwork on Palmerston Road was delightful to witness, featuring a large black and white character named Ken alongside several ‘mini Kens’. At the time of its completion, this was KMG’s largest mural to date.
Through her work, KMG explores themes of mythology, community and local landscapes and their history. She often uses characters like Ken to engage and interact with the audience, bringing forth a question of the connections between the environment to heritage and cultural identity and how this transcribes to the present day.
Ernest Zacharevic – 2018
Lithuanian-born Ernest Zacharevic’s mural of a young child climbing the Union Plaza was just one of many to have been featured on the office building. The classically trained artist, self-described as having a preference for the streets, hoped to convey a sense of humanity within the Plaza using the scale of the building as well as its location.
Ernest, a prolific figure in the art industry, has participated in a number of projects over the years and is determined to raise awareness of various issues and topics that impact communities across the globe.
Phlegm – 2018
This Welsh-born-Sheffield-based artist was featured as part of Nuart’s 2018 festival with an illustration displayed on the of Tesco Express in Aberdeen’s West End. It depicts several workers surrounded by pillars hard at work with chisels.
Phelgm, though based in Sheffield, is an internationally celebrated street artist who has showcased his work across the walls of the Steel City itself – many of which are executed in black and white style (as seen with the Nuart submission).
Martin Whatson – 2022
Norwegian-born street artist Martin Whatson formed part of the artists featured in Aberdeen’s 2023 Nuart festival with a depiction of graffiti and vandalism – a topic which Martin has been hugely involved with since the early 90s despite a zero tolerance stigma surrounding the theme.
Helen Bur – 2021
For her second Nuart Aberdeen piece, Helen Bur ensured she would leave a lasting impression with her latest piece reflecting on the passage of time and connecting with her previous artwork.
This time, Helen’s work featured the same family from her original piece with their newborn baby. The mural was particularly poignant as it was painted during World Breastfeeding Week and has been used many times as a symbol of strength and positivity for pro-breastfeeding groups and mothers.
Tamara Alves – 2023
Portuguese-born visual artist and illustrator Tamara Alves was featured in the 2023 Nuart festival with a depiction of a woman and her interaction with nature. The Lisbon-based creator has always maintained a passion for the urban aesthetics of the streets and sets out to convey a primitive sense of instincts and what defines human beings.
