An artist has painted a huge mural at the site of the demolished Aberdeen market to showcase local talent ahead of Nuart.
Artist Skeps has been working on a beautiful portrait of a lady after being frustrated only one of the artists taking part in the festival are Scottish.
The 21-year-old wants to highlight the range of creative of talents in Aberdeen and the wider north-east.
Meanwhile, Nuart has encouraged Skeps – and other local artists – to get involved with the upcoming festival by signing up to take part.
‘There is talent in Aberdeen’
After using a grid process to map out the design Skeps then used aerosol cans to freehand paint the detailed and stunning mural.
The artist said this has been the biggest project he has worked on by himself so far.
“There’s no real meaning behind it,” he said. “I really don’t like painting hands and I don’t like painting ears so I made a challenge to myself to make sure they were quite prevalent parts of the project.
“I’ll have her dropping a poppy flower – that’s quite a meaningful flower to me.”
After starting in lockdown, Skeps can often be seen around Aberdeen painting murals and brightening up the city.
He told the Press & Journal he took on this project ahead of Nuart to highlight the lack of Scottish artists being invited to take part in this year’s festival and showcase that there is talent in the city.
Skeps said: “This year, out of the 13 artists painting for the festival, only one is from Scotland. That doesn’t take anything away from Katie who was chosen, she very much deserves it, I just think there should be more opportunity for local people – or even just Scottish people.
“Having one person representing the whole country, that really is a frustrating thing for me.
“So this is a bit of a statement doing something this size, on my own, out of my own pocket to prove a point there is talent within this city and that should be shown, and artists should be getting opportunities.”
Nuart says festival is ‘run by locals for locals’
A spokeswoman for Nuart Aberdeen said it would be happy for Skeps and other local artists to get involved with the festival.
She said: “The Nuart pieces sit alongside existing artwork in the city and we are very happy to work with Skeps or other artists, who can pop by the Anatomy Rooms at Marischal College, sign up, and get involved. Working with different artists and learning new skills can only enhance future festivals.
“Nuart is run by locals for locals and is dedicated to engaging with a local audience. It’s supported by local businesses, schools, colleges, charities, volunteers and many other organisations. One of Nuart’s core principles is its inclusive and open-door policy to all.
“Nuart Aberdeen is now recognised as one of the world’s leading street art festivals and a vital part of our cultural scene. Both the new and legacy pieces continue to inspire and challenge artists and visitors from all walks of life.
“As a curated festival, we are proud to work with artists from all over the world, who are chosen to bring their individual style of work and artistic ideas in line with the festival’s theme, which changes each year to keep it fresh.
“We’ve enlisted hundreds of local volunteers to help with Nuart Aberdeen, offering the opportunity to see how the team brings our city street canvases to life. These include Aberdeen’s Katie Guthrie, who has risen through the ranks and is now a Nuart artist in her own right.
“We’re also proud to offer a wide programme of supporting events, including schools engagement and public events such as Chalk, Don’t Chalk. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone from June 8-11.”
Conversation