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Author: Barry Pickard
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Have you ever wondered how a city known for its grey granite buildings and the cold North Sea could transform into a vibrant canvas of colour? Over the past decade, Aberdeen has done just that, thanks to a series of street art initiatives led by talented local artists, famous street artists from around the world and the Aberdeen Inspired group.
Imagine walking through the city, the smell of fresh paint mingling with the salty sea air, and the sound of seagulls overhead. The Nuart Aberdeen Festival has grabbed headlines, but it’s just one of many projects that have turned Aberdeen into a world-renowned hub for street art.
In this post, I’ll share my personal journey through Aberdeen’s most captivating and thought-provoking street art. I hope you enjoy these colourful street art murals as much as I do.
Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if exploring Aberdeen’s street art appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating Aberdeen’s attractions and its colourful murals, or indeed, a tour of Scotland in general.
Aberdeen's Striking Street Art Murals
Nuart Aberdeen 2024
The Nuart Aberdeen street art festival has become a highlight of Aberdeen's cultural calendar and I am always eager to find out what masterpieces are unveiled during early June. I wasn't disappointed! With this year's theme being 'Living Heritage', the dynamic side of cultural heritage was explored, with artists from as far afield as Egypt (Bahia Shehab), Amsterdam (Niels 'Shoe' Meulman) and Israel/Palestine (Addam Yekutieli). However, I feel that it is the piece by Hera down at Aberdeen Harbour that will become Aberdeen's most famous street art mural (the first three photos below), joining the ranks of Aberdeen's iconic street art.
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How can I find the exact locations of these amazing murals, I hear you ask. Well, Nuart Aberdeen maintains a handy map of where their murals can be found. Check it out and uncover these treasures. Is there a recommended order for exploring the murals? While there’s no strict order, consider starting with the central areas and then branching out. Follow your instincts, wander down alleys, and let the murals guide you. Each discovery adds to the overall experience.
Nuart Aberdeen 2023
The theme of 2023's Nuart festival was 'Rewilding', and explored various aspects related to 'Tresspass and Transgression.' It also left Aberdeen a wonderful gift of stunning murals, especially around the Rose Street and St. Andrews Street area. There was a strong emphasis on British talent, with street art artists such as SNIK, Eloise Gillow and Aida Wilde, all of which ensured that Aberdeen continues to have arguably the best street art in the UK, if not the world.
What inspired the artists to create their murals? Well, the inspiration behind each mural varies. Some draw from local history, culture, or personal experiences, while others explore global themes. The artists infuse their work with passion, storytelling, and a desire to engage viewers. I find that sometimes half the fun is trying to work out the artists inspiration yourself.
Nuart Aberdeen 2022
Nuart Aberdeen 2022 took place from 9th to 12th June 2022. Themed as “RECONNECT,” this street art festival aimed to restore social connections and relationships within cities after a period of lockdown and distancing. The festival featured renowned artists of modern street art such as the Spanish muralist Elisa Capdevila, the Danish artist Jacoba Niepoort, and Scotland's own James Klinge, whose cool street art creation now adorns the ibis hotel.
Are there any hidden messages or symbolism in these murals? Absolutely! Many of these murals contain subtle messages, symbols, or references. These might relate to social issues, environmental concerns, or personal reflections. I must admit that I don't really have any answers, but part of the joy is deciphering these hidden layers as you explore.
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Nuart Aberdeen 2021
After the disappointing postponement of the 2020 festival, we were treated to pieces from five world-renowned artists during the summer of 2021. The festival is usually conducted over an intense couple of weeks, but this year the painting was spread over June, July and into August. There was a little bit of secrecy surrounding the exact days when the artists would be working, which was in an effort to reduce the likelihood of crowds gathering during these uncertain times. In some ways this actually led to even more excitement, at least for myself, as it was like an artistic scavenger hunt, trying to discover where the artists were and catch them mid-creation!
Nuart Aberdeen 2019
Aberdeen’s Nuart street art festival had quickly established itself as a globally acclaimed celebration of street art, and reinforced this reputation by luring many international artistic luminaries to the city in 2019. The likes of Strok from Norway, Axel Void from Spain and Evol from Germany descended on Aberdeen, along with many British or UK-based artists, such as Helen Bur and SMUG, who must count as some of the most famous street art artists in the country.
Nuart Aberdeen 2018
Aberdonians may have been unsure what to expect when the Nuart Aberdeen Festival launched in 2017, but by 2018, there was great excitement to find out what was going to be created during the second instalment of the festival. I think it is safe to say that no one was disappointed, with many of the murals becoming city centre landmarks loved by the locals. This was emphasised by the extremely successful tours held immediately following the end of the festival, with great crowds of locals and visitors alike being guided around these magnificent pieces of art. One thing which struck me most, was the great range of the artistic mediums used – Bordalo II, for example, used discarded plastics to create his unicorn, while Carrie Reichardt used mosaics to focus on inspirational women from Aberdeen and Scotland, and, for my personal favourites, Bortusk Leer painted his colourful cartoon monsters onto newspaper! Such talented street art artists.
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Nuart Aberdeen 2017
Aberdeen’s twin city of Stavanger, Norway, has held the very successful Nuart street art festival since the early 2000s, so it was fitting that their concept was copied across the North Sea in 2017. The festival aimed to provide a platform for local, national and international artists to showcase their work through a series of site-specific murals, installations, interventions, and temporary exhibitions. Eleven artists brought the city centre to life, including the German art duo Herakut, who arguably created the festival’s most iconic street art piece on the Aberdeen Market building (which, unfortunately has been lost since the demolition of the market), and Polish M-city, who painted a large mural on Harriet Street. Alongside the large art pieces, there were also smaller, complimentary art, from the likes of the Belgian artist Jaune and his stencilled garbage men! The festival had established Aberdeen as home to some of the best street art in the world.
Read on to discover Aberdeen's colourful doors, Union Terrace Garden's lost treasures, and enjoy a double take of the Look Again Festival.
Painted Doors
The Painted Doors project was initiated in July 2016 and has brought new life and colour to many of Aberdeen’s neglected city centre doors. Curated by local artist Mary Butterworth, the doors are concentrated mainly around Langstane Place, Windmill Brae and The Green. The project continued in 2017 and 2018, with around 40 doors now having been painted by local artists, with each design being unique and eye catching. A map of the doors can be found here: http://bit.ly/2hczhjb
Release The Pressure
The precursor to the Nuart festival and perhaps the event that opened the eyes of many in Aberdeen to the importance and potential of street art, was 2016’s ‘Release The Pressure’ event. Union Terrace Gardens was a much loved, but neglected area of Aberdeen’s city centre, and it was here that a series of colourful and vibrant pieces of artwork were created to breathe new life into this public space.
2021 and 2022 saw a much-needed renovation of Union Terrace Gardens, but this unfortunately led to these dazzling pieces being covered up or destroyed! It would have been nice for them to have become a feature of the gardens, but alas, that is the fleeting nature of street art I guess.
Click to scroll through the images.
Look Again Festival
Look Again is a creative unit based at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. A number of events and exhibitions are held throughout the year, but the most eye catching for me was the Love at First Sight installation created by Morag Myerscough in 2019. This temporary structure was part pavilion and part stage, encircling the historic Mercat Cross in Castlegate, with around 30 local volunteers hand painting the installation. An intriguing juxtaposition of historic buildings and modern street art.
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Read on to discover Aberdeen's edgier side, the local businesses who support the street art scene, as well as Aberdeen's own Skeps.
East Green & The Tunnels
With the impressive Union Street having been built over a series of arches in the early 1800's, the area beneath Aberdeen’s main street has always felt a little off limits. None more so than the area around the East Green and down into The Tunnels (Carnegie’s Brae), which has always had a certain degree of edginess. Today, however, this area seems to have taken that reputation and made it a positive. This subterranean passageway and backstreet access road is now full of vibrant, cool street art, with paintings, paste ups, social commentaries and political street art. The area also seems to renew itself rapidly, with new pieces replacing old in an ongoing fashion.
Since the Aberdeen Market building has recently been demolished (one side of the East Green), much of this hotspot for colour, political art and humour has either been lost or closed off to the public. It will be interesting to see whether this area maintains its street art credentials once the new market building has been constructed.
Business Premises
As street art has become acceptable and appreciated, there now seems to be a drive by businesses to commission works from these artists to brighten up their premises and provoke interest. Years ago, a good signwriter would be in high demand from shops, and it seems that there has now been an evolution of this need, where artists more known for their street art murals are getting assignments. One of the biggest proponents of art in the business space has been the local brewery and pub chain BrewDog, with all of their locations having some sort of eye catching art work, often by their once in-house graffiti artist Craig Fisher. There have also been undertakings by Aberdeen-born artist KMG, producing pieces for Dr. Martens on Union Street (now closed) and the Nigg Bay Golf Club. One of my personal favourites is the artwork around the entrance to Arch 420 on Palmerston Road. It will be interesting to see how this trend develops.
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Skeps
A relatively new addition, adding a touch of colour and culture to Aberdeen’s city centre, has been the portrait artworks of local artist Skeps. Certainly one to keep an eye out for and there will hopefully be some new pieces appearing in the future.
Hotels in Aberdeenshire
If you are looking to stay in Aberdeenshire to discover its street art murals, there is a good selection of accommodation within the city of Aberdeen that will meet all tastes and budgets. At the luxury end, the Malmaison Aberdeen is an excellent choice, while the Inn at the Park offers a good, affordable night's stay near the Duthie Park, while the Copthorne Hotel is centrally placed, just a couple of minute's walk from Union Street.
If you are looking for a hotel further out into the countryside of Aberdeenshire, there are plenty to choose from, such as the Banchory Lodge Hotel, the Macdonald Pittodrie House, and the Douneside House.
Conclusion
Street art murals have become an integral part of city culture around the world, and Aberdeen has been quick to spot its potential and has grabbed its opportunity to become a must-visit location for anyone interested in this art form. The creations around Aberdeen have delighted and provoked in equal measure. During my travels, I have always sought out a city’s street art. When visiting places as diverse as Houston, Łódź (in Poland) and Ghent, I have always been amazed at the talent and imagination of street artists. However, I’d have to honestly say that I have not visited a city quite like Aberdeen, where the quality, quantity and variety of street art murals is so easily accessible within a ten-minute radius of the city centre. So if you have even only a passing interest street art, make sure to put Aberdeen, Scotland, on your itinerary!
Related Blog Posts
If you are interested in finding out more about the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland, please view the Tailor-Made Itineraries posts below:
If you would like more information on street art murals from around the world, please view the Tailor-Made Itineraries posts below:
Let me know in the comments below which artwork was your favourite.
Tailor-Made Itineraries delights in creating bespoke self-guided tours. So, if exploring Aberdeen’s street art murals appeals to you, reach out to me by email. I would be more than happy to design a self-guided tour around your requirements incorporating Aberdeen’s attractions and its colourful murals, or indeed, a tour of Scotland in general.
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Barry
Contact Me: tailoritineraries@gmail.com
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