An underpass along the Deeside Way has been given a multi-coloured anime-inspired makeover thanks to four pals with a passion for Dragon Ball Z.
The artwork, which is now brightening up a Broomhill road tunnel along the well-used cycling and walking route, definitely captures the attention of passersby.
Depicted against an electrifying blue background is the famous anime character Goku from Dragon Ball Z, along with other characters from the series.
Chris Webster, also known as his alter-ego Reckless, created the massive art piece using the vibrant shades of blue, yellow and orange associated with Dragon Ball Z.
Deeside Way Dragon Ball Z art took ‘months of planning’
In total, four artists Reckless, Skeps, Pliskie and Rabb, created the piece over three days using more than 80 cans of spray paint.
With months of planning, the artists hope to bring a burst of colour to an otherwise dull underpass.
Reckless says the four friends were excited to come together for the project as Rabb lives in Elgin while the others are Aberdeen based.
He says one of the hardest things about creating an artwork is getting everyone to agree on the layout and concept.
The massive artwork spans 100ft across
However, there was agreement on this particular piece as all four are lovers of the popular 90s anime show.
He said: “We’ve all been fans in our younger years and now we all have careers or pushing our own artistry, so it was a good chance for all of us to get together.
“We are close friends and we don’t get to paint together very often, so this project has been in the works for months.”
How hard was it to create Dragon Ball Z mural on the Deeside Way?
Reckless estimates the piece to be 100ft by 20ft, as he described some of the challenges.
He said: “The quality of the wall has been one of the challenges with this project. It is quite a wet wall and hasn’t been treated very well over the years.
“We had a lot of issues with paint running through our piece, so we were trying to seal the wall before we could paint.”
Which cartoon would YOU like to see brought to life in an Aberdeen underpass? Let us know in our comments section below
He says its “massively important” for him to create artworks like this as it is his full-time job and passion, having now done hundreds across Aberdeen.
Recently the Aberdeen City Council allowed two underpasses at Mounthooly roundabout to be designated for graffiti artists to showcase their artistry.
Reckless says it is important for new artists to be allowed to express themselves through their art and is happy to see areas across Aberdeen be legally designated for graffiti art.
Read more about Reckless’s massive mural at Aberdeen Beach here.
Conversation