Since 2014, Waterford Walls, Ireland’s largest street art festival, has been transforming and regenerating urban spaces in Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, while inspiring and connecting communities. Earlier this month, Waterford Walls held its eighth street art festival with over 28 national and international artists creating huge murals across Waterford City and the surrounding areas.
The enchanting mural featured above was painted by the London-based French street artist Zabou with the Dublin-based French illustrator and muralist Juliette Viode. They are both captured here — posing with the local boy depicted in the mural — by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad. Several more images from the recent Waterford Walls follow:
Ukrainian artist Andrey Palval with one of the murals from the triptych “The Birds”
Portugal-based Emanuel Barreira aka Half Studio in front of his masterly lettering
England-based self-taught artist Sophie Mess at work on her stunning mural
French urban artist GraffMatt checking out his portrait of a young woman
Paris-based South African photorealistic muralist Mister Copy at work
Brooklyn-based Italian muralist Iena Cruz in front of his mural “Out of Sight,” depicting “two vanishing polar bears… fighting to survive”
Photos by Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad
The Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival celebrated its 6th year in 2020. But it was a year like no other. Instead of taking place over a long weekend in August, it lasted for over 45 days, as artists from throughout Ireland arrived one at a time to paint their murals in accordance with social distancing guidelines. With live interviews and videos online, the festival successfully transformed urban spaces while, also, engaging the public.
The image featured above was created collaboratively by the noted Irish artists Aches and Maser. Several more images that surfaced in the 2020 The Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival follow:
London-born Ireland-based muralist and illustrator Dan Leo
Dublin-based sign painter and lettering artist Vanessa Power
Waterford-based Polish artist Magda Karol
Dublin-based muralist and graphic artist Garreth Joyce
Irish printmaker and muralist Shane O’Driscoll
Dublin-based Niall O’Lochlainn and Waterford-based Caoilfhionn Hanton
All photos courtesy Waterford Walls; special thanks to Houda Lazrak for making the connection
The following guest post is by Street Art NYC contributor Houda Lazrak
One week before Dublin went into its second lockdown in October, I visited the city and snapped a few shots of old and new street art pieces. The image featured above is the work of two Italian artists, Valdis & Tilf. They painted the piece in 2013 in Smithfield Square as part of the MURO Street Art Festival in Dublin.
Below is a selection of several more artworks from the neighborhoods of Smithfield, City Center and Portobello, crafted mainly by local Irish artists:
Dublin native graffiti artist, muralist and graphic designer Aches
Hand painted portrait by the socially-conscious Dublin-based collective Subset
Dublin-based sign painter and lettering artist Vanessa Power
Irish artist and educator Joe Caslin “I will find a way through this / I am not alone / I will hold on / Look after yourself,” — part of the Look After Yourself campaign by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Galway, Ireland native Canvaz to the left of veteran Irish artist Jor
Canvaz, closer-up
Photos by Houda Lazrak
A masterful painter, tattoo artist and portraitist, Scottish artist Mark Worst has fashioned — in a range of spaces — extraordinary portraits blurring the line between street art and fine art. Featured here are several he painted within the past several months:
Portrait of the artist’s “Lady” — painted in Derry, Northern Ireland
Portrait of Action Bronson — painted in Leith Docks, Scotland
Portrait of the artist’s “mate” — painted in Paisley, Scotland
Indoor commission
Sponsored by Montana Cans UK, Mark Worst will soon be on holiday in NYC, where he is seeking opportunities to network with other artists. The artist can be contacted at markwrst@gmail.com.
All photos courtesy of the artist
On our brief visit to Dublin, Ireland, we discovered a vibrant street art and graffiti scene teeming with infectious images. Here are a few more:
Cork, Ireland native Fin DAC, whose aesthetic we first came upon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Dublin-based James Earley, close-up
Dublin-based Fink
Irish illustrator and painter Dan Leo
South African native MARCAMIX aka bryite1one
Belfast-based Friz
Irish graffiti artists Koce and Vents
Photo credits: 1, 2, 4, 6 & 8 Tara Murray; 3, 5 & 7 Lois Stavsky
