Internationally acclaimed duo SNIK is working on another one-of-a-kind portrait for Nuart Aberdeen.
Nik Ellis and Laura Perrett, known as SNIK, have been busy transforming a wall in a car park just off Thistle Lane as part of this year’s festival.
The pair have been taking part in Nuart Aberdeen for five years, creating murals that have captured the attention of the city.
Using hand-cut stencils to achieve a beautiful one-off ethereal portrait, the pair have developed their own style over the years, and have taken it with them around the world.
The stencils are destroyed after the artwork has been completed, so there will never be the same painting in a different city and works cannot be replicated.
They started working on the stencils three weeks before travelling to Aberdeen to start on the festival.
SNIK say art has ‘it’s own life cycle’
SNIK is known for painting Hold Fast Hope, which faces the harbour, and for creating a mural on the Aberdeen Market building – despite plans to demolish it later that year.
“Some things are never meant to be permanent,” Nik said. “I think that’s the nature of street art and things like this in general anyway.
“I personally love that you don’t know if you’re guaranteed it will last one day, one week, or one year.
“There’s no point getting too attached to it.”
Laura agreed and said: “It keeps us on our toes, it keeps us developing, it keeps us progressing. It’s got its own life cycle.
“We have something growing, which is the one here being painted, something that survived, which is Hold Fast Hope, and obviously the end of its life cycle is We Begin at the Market. It’s nice Aberdeen has seen that full cycle.”
Nuart Aberdeen ‘best festival going’
Nuart’s theme this year is “rewilding”, which both artists say they have connected with, especially the idea of pathways.
“We love the fact that this wall is going to be part of the local community’s pathway,” Laura said. “On the way to work, on the way to school, this is something that’s evolving on their own pathways.”
While the duo has been working away on their latest mural on Thistle Lane, people have been stopping on their way past to curiously check out the painting and chat.
Many have said they are always excited this time of year to see the new walls and feel inspired by the artwork.
Laura said: “Aberdeen is an incredible city, and we’ve been speaking to everyone who has popped by.
“Every other person we’ve spoken to gets so excited this time of year because they get to see these new walls and it kind of inspires a lot of, hopefully, new artists to see what’s possible and what is available and to work with these projects together and the opportunities are endless.”
Nik believes festivals like Nuart show the importance of art and culture for communities.
He finished: “I think the community benefits are massive for events like this – we need more art, we need more culture in general in the country. There are always youth clubs being closed and libraries being closed.
“You see just by the volume of volunteers how many people want to be a part of this event.
“It speaks volumes about the quality of the festival, and personally for us, I think it’s the best festival going.”
Conversation