
Shane O’Malley (web | Fb) from Galway painted in Union Street during Culture Night X/Hit The North 2018.
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Leo Boyd (web | previously) resurrected his ‘PSNI ice-cream wagon’ for Culture Night/Hit The North, along with Laura “Lamb” Nelson (profile), and added a trio of winged police land-rovers like wooden ducks ascending along a living-room wallpaper and vintage ice-cream advertising. The piece drew the response shown in the second image, but this was apparently too direct a comment and was quickly painted out.
Both artists are currently members of Vault Artists (web | Fb | ig) (formerly Belfast Bankers).


Update 2018-11 damage and grafitti

Update 2019-01 further damage

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Copyright © 2018/2019 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Update: replaced by a Clockwork Land-Rover

The magic of Culture Night and Hit The North reaches its tenth year in 2018. As part of the celebration two Colombian artists were in Belfast this past weekend for Culture Night. The magic begins with this inter-species mural above is by Sancho (Fb | ig).

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Kintsugi, according to WP, is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a metallic lacquer, which means that the repair is visible, and “treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.”
Conor McClure (web | Fb) writes that “My Hit The North piece is based on the link with this philosophy and mental health in our society. Rather than have to hide round the stigma of mental illness people should be able to display their scars and wear them with pride.” October 10th was World Mental Health Day.
Previously: More Wolf Than Woman | Spring Wings
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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Shown are the White Witch (Jadis) and two wolves, Maugrim – Captain of the Secret Police – and Vardan (from the movie adaptation). The piece is called “Winter’s End” however, because Jadis’s reign over Narnia – the winter of 100 years – is under threat from Aslan the lion.
The piece is by Friz (web). The two images below are in-progress shots from March. For the metalwork in the top right, see Chains & Ropes. The corner – which is typically beset with cars – is in Townsley Street/Manderson Street, Belfast, next to CS Lewis square.


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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Run-DMC took hip hop into the mainstream in 1984 and were eventually declared the greatest hip hop artist/group by both MTV and VH1. The trio are Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darrell “DMC” McDaniels and “Jam Master Jay” Mizell (who was shot and killed in 2002). Street art by Glen Molloy (previous work including Beastie Boys) in Pattersons Place.

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Copyright © 2018 Cathal Woods
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Larne man and member of the Continuity IRA or Irish Republican National Congress (IRNC – see Join The IRNC and Maid Of Erin; also IRPC, who now have a Fb page, as does the Free Niall Lehd campaign) member Niall Lehd was initially arrested on explosives charges in 2014 (BBC-NI) and given early release in 2016 (An Phoblacht). He is associated with Ciaran Maxwell, who says that he became a republican bomb-maker out of fear (RTÉ | Express). He was returned to jail in March (Irish News).
Below is a wide shot from 2018-02 showing the advertising hoarding that appears to be disused and (another shot of) the ‘RIP Jamie’ graffiti below.

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Work continues at the site opposite The Sunflower (Union Street and Kent Street). Nine murals (at least) were lost when the building was torn down but the substantial hoarding is providing artists with a temporary canvas. Above are sunflowers by Conor McClure (web | Fb – see previously More Wolf Than Woman | Spring Wings); below are pieces by TMN crew members – MASH and “Skynet“.


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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Here are two paste-ups in Belfast city centre by FGB (Francois Got Buffed | web | Fb). One is Dangerous Dave enjoying a rollie, one asks people to expand their culinary horizons. For the origin of the artist’s name, and more info, see Belfast Beyond’s interview with FGB from last year.
Previously by FGB: Hi | Together | Dancing In The Streets

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