The full line-up of artists for Aberdeen’s Nuart festival has been revealed – along with images of their stunning works from around the world.
In total, 11 globally-acclaimed street artists will arrive in the Granite City next month to transform walls and spaces, all working under the theme of “Reconnect”.
In the mix will be Norwegian street artist Martin Whatson, who took part in Aberdeen’s first Nuart festival, creating a hugely popular mural of a golfer on Queen Street in 2017.
The artists – hailing from all parts from Scotland to Morocco – will be creating both huge murals and more intimate smaller works during the festival, which will run from June 9 to 12.
Organisers of the award-winning event, brought to the city by Aberdeen Inspired and Aberdeen City Council, said this year’s festival would continue to transform the city’s streetscape.
Striking murals will transform heart of Aberdeen
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “At its heart, Nuart Aberdeen is all about connecting people with the city through the art that is created by the talented street artists which the festival draws.
“Over the years we have played host to groundbreaking street artists and delivered projects that have involved participants from all walks of life and we are excited to see what people make of this year’s programme of events when it is announced soon.”
Included in the line-up is Glasgow stencil artist James Klinge who makes his festival debut and also Spanish artist and activist Jofre Oliveras’ whose striking murals promise new connections with the city’s spaces.
The global appeal and influence of the Nuart is shown by the inclusion of Spanish artist Pejac who will make a rare appearance as part of the event.
Pejac mainly paints with black to create silhouetted figures and shadows but sometimes uses splashes of colour to show them in a smart and poetic manner in both playful and serious scenes.
His creations have enchanted audiences around the world and organisers say it’s a real coup to secure his place in the 2022 lineup.
Portuguese artist Nuno Viegas was originally on the line up for the cancelled 2020 Nuart, but secretly visited the city as part of a ‘lockdown edition’. His clean and minimal work draws on traditional graffiti for inspiration.
Festival first as great artists get ready to head for Aberdeen
Nuno is looking forward to returning to the city. He said: “We are finally going to make it happen! It feels great now to join the Nuart Aberdeen family in person once again for the Aberdeen jam!”
Large scale murals will be a feature of the 2022 festival with Barcelona-based Slim Safont’s striking works promising to offer intriguing links to daily lives and popular Copenhagen-based muralist JACOBA aiming to “creatively disrupt our sense of disconnection and indifference”.
As a first the festival also welcome London-based artist and activist for trans rights Erin Holly, whose studio and street-based practice are making an international impact and Spanish artist Elisa Capdevila’s whose large-scale murals promise evocative slices of life reconnected, while Moroccan artist Mohamed L’Ghacham will recreate resonant scenes from everyday life.
Completing the line-up is artist Miss Printed from Norway who is sure to delight and surprise with her delicate miniature paper collages which will be placed in the streets.
Nuart aims to help people reconnect with their city
Martyn Reed, who created Nuart in Stavanger in 2001, hopes the “Reconnect” theme of this year’s festival will help “dial down” anxiety and uncertainty created by two years of lockdown and social distancing.
He said: “We’re aware of the connections we’ve stretched to the limit or lost during two years of pandemic and enforced isolation. If art presented in a festival format is good for anything, then it’s making connections.
“Art to people, people to place, to the city, to each other, across borders, genders and race. At the very least, I’m hoping it inspires someone to pick up the phone and call their mum. I’d consider that a win.”
Meanwhile, Aberdeen City Council Leader Jenny Laing said she was delighted to see Nuart return and that the announcement of artists taking part would create an air of excitement.
Nuart has captured the hearts and minds of people in Aberdeen
“(Nuart) has truly captured the hearts and minds of the public and we hope to continue to build on that success to further position Aberdeen as a city with a rich and varied cultural offering that locals and visitors from near and far can enjoy,” she said.
Which walls the artists will be working on will be announced later.
A full programme of public events and tours for the Nuart weekend will be announced in the coming weeks, alongside news of a leading street art symposium and other “special announcements” said organisers.
For more information visit 2022.nuartaberdeen.co.uk
Gallery and time-lapses: Aberdeen art festival Nuart through the years