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10 New Street Art Murals Worth a Closer Look (May 2025)
Content warning: Which one is your favorite?
From a striking portrait in Mexico City to a lifeboat bursting through a building in England, this roundup features 10 fresh murals from around the world. Highlights include a child with a haunting gaze in Jacksonville, a peacock-cat fusion in Brazil, and surreal butterflies in a forest in France. Scroll through for fantasy, hyperrealism, visual metaphors, and bold graffiti hybrids.
Follow Street Art Utopia – News for daily updates with new street art from around the world.
ADN Patagónico – By Alibe in Mexico City, Mexico
This black-and-white portrait mural features a woman staring intently while holding a spray can. The detailed rendering is accompanied by sharp graffiti lettering and face tattoos reading “Alibe” and “33”.
Forest Butterflies – By Dege in Le Puy-en-Velay, France
A mural of a lush forest scene where two giant butterflies rest on vibrant blades of grass by a flowing stream. Sunlight beams through the treetops, adding a magical realism effect.
Peacock Jaguar – By Julián Cruz Solano in Petrolina, Brazil for BEIRA
This mural merges the face of a jaguar with the feathers and crest of a peacock. The animal’s face is painted in electric blues and purples, radiating symmetry and intensity.
🔗 Follow Julián Cruz Solano on Instagram
Raiña da carballeira – By BUBLEGUM in Lugo, Spain for Urban Cores 2
A woman with flowing white hair and pointed ears rises among swirling oak leaves. The mural blends fantasy with nature symbolism, all set on a deep red background.
🔗 Follow BUBLEGUM on Instagram
Tiger and Fire – By sWz1 and J2
A roaring tiger is enveloped in flames and purple light, flanked by dynamic graffiti lettering in red and cream. The mural combines traditional graffiti with hyper-stylized wildlife imagery.
🔗 Follow sWz1 on Instagram
RNLI Lifeboat – By Peter Sheridan in Weymouth, England
A mural of a lifeboat crashing through the side of a building, painted to celebrate the RNLI’s 200th anniversary. The orange rescue vessel plows through turbulent blue waves.
Lifeboat operations manager Simon Kershaw: “It [the mural] was conceived to celebrate the 200 years existence of the RNLI and the 150 years it has been here in Weymouth and recognise the commitment of all our volunteers.”
🔗 Follow Peter Sheridan on Instagram
On the Third Day – By Last Wave in Jacksonville, Florida for JAX WALL PROJECT
A large-eyed child stares solemnly ahead. The mural combines realism with graphic pop art elements on a red brick wall.
🔗 Follow Last Wave on Instagram
Strahinja – By Wuper Kec in Viborg, Denmark
This mural of a boy reading a book on a giant wooden chair blends seamlessly with the building’s architecture. The realistic lighting and posture make the oversized child appear almost three-dimensional.
🔗 Follow Wuper Kec on Instagram
Tiger in the Jungle – By Bruno Rosa in Montevideo, Uruguay
A roaring tiger is surrounded by lush green foliage. The mural uses strong contrasts and intense highlights to give the animal volume and presence against the dark background.
🔗 Follow Bruno Rosa on Instagram
Giant Woman and Tree – By Sabotaje Al Montaje in Civitacampomarano, Italy
A mural of a crouching woman painted at massive scale, carefully reaching toward a small real tree growing at the building’s base. Her presence appears to interact with the environment in a lifelike, surreal way.
🔗 Follow Sabotaje Al Montaje on Instagram
More: Street Art Utopia: Why People Fall In Love With Outdoor Art (25 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
11 Beautiful Artworks That Seem to Grow From Nature
Some artworks don’t just sit in nature—they become part of it. Around the world, artists are crafting sculptures and murals that seamlessly merge with their surroundings, using trees, vines, and landscapes as living elements of their work. These 11 pieces don’t fight against nature; they grow with it.
From giant figures emerging from forests to street art that transforms urban greenery into playful illusions, these eight stunning creations prove that art and nature can exist in perfect harmony.More: 8 Inspiring Sculptures Seamlessly Integrated with Nature
1. “Sleeping Child” by El Decertor (Imbabura, Ecuador)
A mural by El Decertor in Imbabura, Ecuador, depicting a young child sleeping against a concrete wall, with creeping ivy blending into the painting as a natural blanket.
2. “UMI” by Daniel Popper (Illinois, USA)
“UMI” by Daniel Popper at the outdoor tree museum The Morton Arboretum in Illinois, USA—an intricate wooden sculpture of a woman with tree roots weaving through her body, set in a green landscape.About and more photos: “UMI” Sculpture by Daniel Popper in Lisle, Illinois
3. Street Art by David Zinn (Ann Arbor, USA)
A street art piece by David Zinn in Ann Arbor, USA, featuring a small green character with a real grass mustache blending into the pavement.More!: Street Art by Happiness Maker David Zinn (21 Photos)
4. Flower Street Art by Fabio Gomes Trindade (Goiás, Brazil)
A mural by Fabio Gomes Trindade in Goiás, Brazil, featuring a girl’s face with a real tree forming her vibrant pink afro hairstyle.More by Fabio Gomes: How Fábio Gomes Turns Trees into Hair: Stunning Murals in Trindade
5. Sidewalk Flower Experiment
A beautiful example of accidental nature-inspired art—kindergarten children dropped seeds into sidewalk cracks, leading to a spontaneous floral pathway.More photos and about: Kindergarten children dropped seeds in the crack of the sidewalk to see what would happen
6. “Nature Rings” by Spencer Byles (Deep Forest, France)
A series of woven circular sculptures by Spencer Byles made from natural branches, blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest.
7. Willow Archer by Anna & The Willow (UK)
A woven willow sculpture of a female archer by Anna & The Willow, set against a wooded path.
8. Wire Mermaid by Martin Debenham (UK)
A wire sculpture by Martin Debenham of a mermaid sitting on a rock, with the intricate metalwork mimicking flowing water.
9. Snake in the Green — Hyères, France
A plain gray cinderblock wall in a hidden grove was completely transformed into a lifelike snake by street artist Rest4. The viper, rendered in vibrant greens, blues, and yellows, emerges from the shadows of the forest floor. The before-and-after framing reveals the power of imagination to awaken forgotten spaces.
10. Fluentem Colos — Little Milford, Wales
Land artist Jon Foreman created this delicate, wave-like gradient in a woodland clearing using carefully arranged leaves. Starting in green and fading to deep orange, the sculpture blends with the forest floor in color, shape, and motion—appearing to ripple like wind through grass. More by Jon Foreman: 9 Leaf Sculptures That Stir the Soul in the Forest (Art by Jon Foreman)
11. Florinda Camila — “WA” Marko Franco Domenak in Lima, Peru
This creative mural cleverly incorporates a real bougainvillea bush as the hair of a painted woman. A monarch butterfly completes the peaceful scene, adding movement to this blend of paint and nature.🔗 Follow WA on Instagram
More: When Street Art Meets Nature (40 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
Falling for It (10 Photos)
Content warning: A flat wall is just a flat wall, until an artist decides to play a trick on your eyes. Suddenly, a solid brick corner turns into a massive tiger ready to pounce. A plain pavement opens up into a glowing pit. Across cities from Patras to Mons, creators are
A flat wall is just a flat wall, until an artist decides to play a trick on your eyes. Suddenly, a solid brick corner turns into a massive tiger ready to pounce. A plain pavement opens up into a glowing pit.
Across cities from Patras to Mons, creators are bending perspective and turning everyday architecture into giant optical illusions. You walk past what you think is a normal building, only to realize a T-Rex is crashing through the plaster. These aren’t just paintings. They are structural magic tricks. Here are 10 times artists proved that even concrete can lie.
More: 3D Masterpieces (18 Photos)
1. The White Rabbit Escapes — WD (Wild Drawing) in Patras, Greece
A woman in a red dress sits calmly on a giant spotted mushroom. Right above her, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland scrambles up the architecture, clutching his famous pocket watch. Swirling gold frames the scene, tricking the eye into believing the wall is actually a deep portal into a fantasy world. WD (Wild Drawing) painted this using the building’s natural shape to make the rabbit look like he is physically climbing out of the frame.
More: Beautiful 3D Art by WD! (8 Photos)
🔗 Follow WD (Wild Drawing) on Instagram
2. The Pouncing Tiger — SWEO & Nikita in El Berrón, Spain
A massive tiger rests its paws on what looks like a real painted frame, leaning out toward the street. SWEO and Nikita created this piece by carefully matching the shadows and colors to the actual balconies and windows surrounding it. The painted leaves cast fake shadows on the real wall, making the wild animal appear completely alive and ready to jump down onto the sidewalk.
One more mural!: Gold Fish mural by Sebastien Sweo and Nikita in Calais, France
🔗 Follow Sebastien Sweo & Nikita on Instagram
3. The Ghost Train — Odeith in Portugal
Inside a forgotten, crumbling warehouse, a train seems to wait on non-existent tracks. Odeith painted this highly realistic locomotive right onto a flat, derelict wall. He added perfect artificial lighting and shadow effects to simulate the rounded metal of the train car. The graffiti tags on the side of the painted train add an extra layer of trickery to the whole scene.
More: 3D Art By Odeith (20 Photos)
🔗 Follow Odeith on Instagram
4. The Changing Cat — Braga Last One in Les Pennes-Mirabeau, France
A huge, hairless sphynx cat curls up comfortably on the side of an old industrial tank. Braga Last One painted the feline with such exact lighting that it looks fully three-dimensional. The best part? The artwork completely changes its mood depending on the season. In the summer, the cat rests in dry grass. When winter hits, the painted cat suddenly looks like it is shivering in the real snow.
More: Absolutely Brilliant By Braga Last One (14 Photos)
🔗 Follow Braga Last One on Instagram
5. The Window to the Sun — Fabian Bane in Mons, Belgium
A young fisher girl rests by an open window frame, bathed in warm sunlight. Fabian Bane painted this peaceful scene, turning a blank wall into a deep, recessed window. The golden sunflowers and the soft reflections on her face make the illusion incredibly convincing. It feels like you could just walk up and join her for a quiet afternoon break.
More: Amazing Murals by 3D Master Fabian Bane (7 Photos)
🔗 Follow Fabian Bane on Instagram
6. Floating Geometry — Shozy in Solnechnogorsk, Russia
A corner building suddenly looks like an impossible puzzle. Shozy painted this piece with such geometric precision that the walls appear to be made of floating cubes and deep, recessed holes. As you walk past the structure, the perspective constantly shifts and bends. It is an architectural mind-bender that completely transforms the otherwise ordinary street corner.
More: 3D Madness By Shozy! (5 Photos)
🔗 Follow Shozy on Instagram
7. Don’t Look Down — Joe & Max in New York City, USA
A massive, glowing sci-fi crater opens right up in the middle of a pedestrian walkway. Joe & Max painted this optical illusion directly on the ground, creating a fake drop that pulls the eye deep into the earth. It is always fun to watch people react as they walk up to the edge, hesitating for a split second before realizing the ground is completely flat.
More: Amazing 3D Art By Joe and Max (8 Photos)
🔗 Follow Joe & Max on Instagram
8. Breakout — Braga Last One in France
A roaring tiger bursts right through the corner of a brick room. Braga Last One painted this explosive piece across multiple interior walls, warping the perspective perfectly. The painted broken bricks fly outward, and the tiger’s mouth is wide open in a fierce growl. Standing in the right spot, the illusion of depth and motion is totally convincing.
🔗 Follow Braga Last One on Instagram
9. Dinosaur Crossing — Shaun Hodgkin in Portsmouth, UK
A fierce T-Rex crashes headfirst through a brick wall. Shaun Hodgkin used hand-cut stencils to build this incredible trompe-l’oeil effect for the LOOK UP paint festival. He painted the fake black bricks to frame the dinosaur, making the head and tail look like they are physically extending out into the street. He even fought through wind and rain to get this giant reptile finished.
🔗 Follow Shaun Hodgkin on Instagram
10. Peeking From the Shadows — Andy Dice Davies in Cheltenham, UK
A giant black and white cat peeks out from underneath a real brick archway at Little Herberts Nature Reserve. Andy Dice Davies painted his own family cat into this spot. The moment he saw the black bricks on the wall, he knew it was the perfect place for a 3D illusion. The cat’s wide eyes and outstretched paw make it look like a giant pet is hiding just out of sight.
🔗 Follow Andy Dice Davies on Facebook
More 3D magic: 3D Art (8 Photos)
Looking for more mind-bending perspectives? Check these out:
- 12 Times Artists Played With Shadows
- When Buildings Come Alive: Masterpieces of Trompe-l’œil
- The Best 3D Street Art Illusions of the Year
Which one of these illusions is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
3D Masterpieces (18 Photos)
Get ready to be mesmerized by the fascinating world of 3D street art!
In today’s blog post, we’ll delve into the mind-bending realm of anamorphic masterpieces, as we explore how these optical illusions are created and what makes them so captivating. So, buckle up and let’s dive into the intriguing world of 3D street art!It’s all about perspective! The Art of Anamorphosis:
Creating Illusions Anamorphosis, the technique behind 3D street art, involves creating distorted images that only appear in their correct proportions when viewed from a specific angle or through a reflective device. This mind-blowing technique has been around since the Renaissance, but it wasn’t until the late 20th century that artists began applying it to the streets, transforming ordinary pavements into magical wonderlands.1
By 3D-Master Odeith
More by Odeith: 19 Jaw-Dropping 3D Graffiti Pieces by Odeith2
By Shozy in Solnechnogorsk, Russia.
See how it is made and from other points of view: Stunning Optical Illusion Mural by ShozyThe Pioneers: Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever
We can’t talk about 3D street art without mentioning its pioneers, Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever. Both artists started creating anamorphic illusions on the streets of Europe in the 1980s, revolutionizing the street art scene. Their innovative works have inspired a new generation of artists to experiment with perspective and create their own jaw-dropping 3D masterpieces.3
By Kurt Wenner
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By Julian Beever
The Process: From Sketch to Lifelike Artwork
Creating 3D street art is a labor-intensive process that begins with a detailed sketch of the desired illusion. Artists then use mathematical calculations and perspective techniques to determine the correct proportions for the final piece. Once the groundwork is done, they meticulously apply chalk or paint to the pavement, using shading and highlights to bring the illusion to life.5
By Leon Keer, Ruben Poncia, Remko van Schaik and Peter Westerink during the 4th Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida US
By Leon Keer, Ruben Poncia, Remko van Schaik and Peter Westerink during the 4th Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida US
By Leon Keer, Ruben Poncia, Remko van Schaik and Peter Westerink during the 4th Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida US
The Impact: Engaging and Interactive Art
One of the most captivating aspects of 3D street art is its interactive nature. Viewers are encouraged to engage with the artwork, often becoming a part of the scene themselves. This immersive quality allows people to connect with art on a deeper level, sparking curiosity and inspiring creativity.6
3D Pedestrian Crossings Are Slowing Down Speeding Drivers in Iceland
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Braga Last1, also known as Tom Bragado Blanco Brings Old Gas Tank to Life with Stunning Sphynx Cat Illusion.
Where to See 3D Street Art: Festivals and Events
Eager to experience these incredible optical illusions for yourself? Keep an eye out for street art festivals and events, where many 3D artists showcase their talents. Some popular events include the Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida, the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival, also in Florida, and the Fiera delle Grazie in Italy.8
Sleeping kitten by WA in Lima, Peru.
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‘Knowledge speaks – Wisdom listens’ – Mural in by WD (Wilddrawing) in Athens, Greece.
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By Made in Graffiti: The sleeping beauty – In Picardie, France.
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By Peeta in Mannheim, Germany.
To understand the 3D effect better, see more photos of the mural here.12
Horse by Nikolaj Arndt in Neustadt, Germany.
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Giraffe Eating the Plants by Jan Is De Man in Utrecht, Netherlands.
More by Jan Is De Man: Transforming Cityscapes with Playful 3D Street Art14
Mural by Cosimo Cheone Caiffa in Milano, Italy.
More: 27 Masterpieces By CHEONE15.
Mind Your Step – 3D Street Art in Stockholm, Sweden by Erik Johansson.
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In Berlin, Germany.
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More by Eduardo Relero.
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By Sweo and Nikita in El Berrón, Spain with 4 leaf agency.
Which one is your favorite?
6 Walls Where Hebs Art Left Something You Can Still Feel
Content warning: From London’s graffiti-filled tunnels to the colorful streets of Akumal and Playa del Carmen, Hebs Art transforms public walls into scenes that make you stop and stare.
From London’s graffiti-filled tunnels to the colorful streets of Akumal and Playa del Carmen, Hebs Art transforms public walls into scenes that make you stop and stare. His work plays with perception—dogs that seem to nap in alleyways, sea turtles mid-flight, and characters who burst off the surface. This collection features seven of his most captivating pieces, including murals in Mexico, Austria, and the UK.
🔗 Follow [b]Hebs Art on Instagram[/b]
Painted Turtle in Flight
A sea turtle glides through space in this large-scale 3D mural, painted across two walls and the pavement. Rich green and violet tones add vibrancy to the shell and flippers, while a painted shadow enhances the illusion of floating.
Girl with Camera — Playa del Carmen, Mexico
A young girl with blonde hair holds a DSLR camera to her face, captured mid-action on the side of a building. The lighting and skin tones are painted with photorealistic care, integrating the shadowed corner into the composition.
Resting Dog in Alleyway — Leake Street Tunnel, London, UK
A white and brown dog stretches naturally across both a wall and an electrical box. Its front paw and head extend toward the sidewalk, making it appear to be physically lying next to passersby.
Dog by the River — Vienna, Austria
This 3D mural shows a relaxed dog reclining across a concrete pillar near a riverside walkway. Painted limbs wrap around the structure, blending with the environment for a seamless visual illusion.
Super Mario Power-Up — Stadlau, Vienna, Austria
A playful mural under a graffitied bridge features Super Mario in full jump, surrounded by power-ups like mushrooms and a blue shell. The sharp outlines and layered elements give the character movement within a chaotic urban backdrop.
Eyes Closed — Leake Street Tunnel, London, UK
A monochrome portrait shows a woman with closed eyes and soft hair fading into the wall. The shading creates a misty, calm mood that contrasts with the rough tunnel walls around it.
Hebs Art pushes the boundaries of visual illusion in public space—turning walls, sidewalks, and pillars into believable living scenes. Whether it’s a turtle in flight or a quiet dog in a tunnel, each piece invites people to pause, look again, and appreciate the unexpected power of street art.
More: 12 Murals That Hit You Right in the Heart (And You’ll Never Forget Them)
Which one is your favorite?
Birds! (14 Photos)
From intimate close-ups to massive architectural takeovers, this collection of bird-themed street art captures the elegance of birds across the globe.
You’ll find photorealistic falcons, surreal cranes, oversized parrots, and delicate wrens brought to life on city walls—each mural a tribute to avian beauty and the artists who transform urban landscapes with their feathers and color. Locations range from the Netherlands and Morocco to France and Australia, each mural offering a unique interpretation of nature through public art.More birds!: 8 Beautiful Artworks That Seem to Grow From Nature
1. Daniel Mac Lloyd’s mural in Heerlen, Netherlands
Two vibrant blue parrots embrace in a strikingly intimate pose, filling the entire side of a house. Painted with rich blues and bursts of orange, the feathers look almost fluid—blending realism with a painterly splash technique that gives motion and emotion to the birds. More photos!: Bird Love by Daniel Mac LLOYD in Heerlen, Netherlands🔗 Follow Daniel Mac Lloyd on Instagram
2. Geoffrey Carran’s mural in Carlton North, Melbourne, Australia
A vibrant superb fairywren perches on a blooming branch of pink flowers, painted on a sleek gray wall. The contrast of the soft blossoms and the vivid blue plumage creates a delicate and cheerful composition full of spring energy. More photos!: Male Fairy Wren by Geoffrey Carran Melbourne, Australia🔗 Follow Geoffrey Carran on Instagram
3. Alegría del Prado’s mural in Rabat, Morocco
A regal falcon with floral plumage and textile patterns adorns a white building in Rabat. The intricate design blends feathers with decorative motifs, transforming the raptor into a symbolic and cultural tapestry. More photos!: 4 Photos of Falcon – Mural by Alegria del Prado in Rabat, Morocco🔗 Follow Alegría del Prado on Instagram
4. Curtis Hylton’s mural in Nykvarn, Sweden
A majestic osprey emerges from a composition of large cream-colored roses and golden shells, with two chicks nestled below. The hyperrealism and symbolic floral fusion create a visual story of protection and grace. More photos!: Floral Osprey – By Curtis Hylton in Nykvarn, Sweden🔗 Follow Curtis Hylton on Instagram
5. Vadim Mezzo’s mural in Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Two elegant herons stand side by side in front of a stylized pink sunset and pine tree silhouettes. The mural is geometric yet soft, creating a tranquil lake scene with a graphic, poster-like quality. More photos!: “In silence” by Vadim Mezzo in Rostov-on-Don, Russia🔗 Follow Vadim Mezzo on Instagram
6. A-MO’s mural in Bordeaux, France
A kingfisher, perched on the corner of a building, bursts with color and texture. The dynamic brushwork mimics feathers in motion, and the location cleverly integrates the mural into urban flow. More photos!: Kingfisher by A-MO in Bordeaux, France🔗 Follow A-MO on Instagram
7. WD (Wild Drawing)’s mural in Athens, Greece
An owl stares intensely from a historic building corner, its massive eyes framed by golden ornamental swirls. The illusion of depth and the realistic textures make it feel alive within the wall. More by WD!: 3D Street Art by WD (7 Murals)🔗 Follow WD (Wild Drawing) on Instagram
8. TUZQ’s mural in Mol, Belgium
A grey crowned crane stands regally with deep blue feathers and a shimmering gold crest. The dark background contrasts sharply with the vivid bird, adding theatrical lighting to this photorealistic piece. More photos!: Mural of a Crane bird by TUZQ in Mol, Belgium🔗 Follow TUZQ on Instagram
9. Adele Renault’s mural in Stavelot, Belgium
A pigeon’s head dominates a multi-surfaced house, with textured roof tiles doubling as feathers. The gradient iridescence and scale of the piece give it a surreal monumentality. More photos!: This Stunning Pigeon Mural in Belgium Is a Must-See🔗 Follow Adele Renault on Instagram
10. L7m’s mural
A small bird bursts into motion with chaotic lines and neon shades of pink, orange, and black. L7m blends abstract graffiti with realism, creating a sense of explosive speed and urban energy. More by L7m!: Street Art by L7m – A Collection🔗 Follow L7m on Instagram
11. Jan Is De Man’s mural in Vinkeveense Plassen, Netherlands
A photorealistic peacock appears to be walking off a brick wall and into nature. The illusionary depth and shimmering tail feathers spill across the path like a real bird mid-stride. More!: 8 Happy 3D Artworks by Jan Is De Man That Will Make You Smile🔗 Follow Jan Is De Man on Instagram
12. Mural by Carlos Alberto GH in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico
A hyper-realistic 3D street art mural by Carlos Alberto GH in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, depicting a vibrant scarlet macaw in flight. The parrot’s red, blue, and yellow feathers are rendered with stunning precision, creating the illusion that the bird is emerging from the wall. More photos!: By Carlos Alberto GH – In Chiapas, Mexico (6 photos)🔗 Follow Carlos Alberto GH on Instagram
13. Chicken Punk — Lexus One in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
A large mural of a rooster painted with striking realism. The bird’s red comb and wattles contrast with its layered brown feathers, while its tail fans out in deep blue and purple tones.🔗 Follow Lexus One on Instagram
Photo by LuKutz
14. Nature Is the Teacher of Art — Anna Tautt & Kkade Schwarzmaler in Hamburg, Germany
An Art Nouveau–inspired mural featuring two thrushes against a deep green background. Surrounded by ornate golden framing, the birds are rendered with lifelike detail, one perched and the other with an open beak as if calling.🔗 Follow Anna Tautt & Kkade Schwarzmaler on Instagram
More: When Street Art Meets Nature (40 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
24 Times SMUG Made Walls Look More Real Than Life
Content warning: In Glasgow, Scotland. I’ve always been drawn to SMUG’s art—there’s just something amazing about how he brings everyday faces to life on such a massive scale. Known worldwide for his super-realistic portraits, SMUG’s murals are incredibly detailed and ofte
In Glasgow, Scotland.
I’ve always been drawn to SMUG’s art—there’s just something amazing about how he brings everyday faces to life on such a massive scale.
Known worldwide for his super-realistic portraits, SMUG’s murals are incredibly detailed and often tower up to 14 stories high! His work isn’t just impressive; it’s a mix of creativity and skill, with each piece telling its own story through light, shadow, and careful detail.
When SMUG starts a mural, he’s not just copying a photo; he’s adapting to the wall in front of him. Every wall, with its own texture and quirks, becomes part of the artwork. Seeing him turn these challenges into part of the art is what makes his work so incredible.
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In Frankston, Victoria, Australia at The Big Picture Fest.
Be sure to keep up with SMUG’s latest creations by following him on Instagram. For more of SMUG’s remarkable works, check out our previous collection: See some of his older murals in this collection from 2011.
Don’t forget to share your photos of SMUG’s street art in our Facebook group, Your Street Art Utopia.
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Tribute to SMUGs grandparents in Melbourne, Australia.
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In Wirrabara, South Australia.
SMUG: Wirrabara, South Australia. One of my most challenging murals to date. I can’t imagine anyone actually enjoys painting 30m tall murals on a curved surface but, contrary to just about everything I said when I finally finished this, I’m kind of keen to do another one! Haha! I love rural Australia and really regret that I didn’t have more time to spend there to fully appreciate it.
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In Leicester, UK at Bring The Paint Street Art Festival.
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In Karlstad, Sweden for Artscape.
SMUG: One of the most absorbant walls I’ve ever worked on so I killed A LOT of cans on this one and spent a couple of days longer than I wanted to on it.
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In Kreuzberg, Berlin at Berlin Mural Fest.
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This two Squirrels are from Street Art Festival in Belgium.
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For Project SAATO in Paris, France.
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In Västervik, Sweden at BANK! Västervik Street Art.
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At Upeart in Kotka, Finland.
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At Waterford Walls Street Art Festival in Ireland.
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Mural in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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At Yardworks in Glasgow, Scotland.
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In Melbourne, Australia.
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For Artscape in Årjäng, Sweden.
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At Wonderwalls Festival in Wollongong, Australia.
SMUG: It was a real push to finish this one. Ended up only having 3 days after the local authorities threw their weight around trying to stop us. Plus for a Sunday sunset haired dude like me it was freaking hot as all hell!
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In North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
SMUG: Painting the local legend Cam, who drops knowledge on everyone and carves these beautiful heart brooches for the women of Hobart to help them fall in love with him. Not my usual color palette but had a lot of fun painting this one.
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For Colour Tumby Street Art Festival in Tumby Bay, Australia.
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In Glasgow, Scotland.
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In Melbourne, Australia.
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Mural in Partille, Göteborg for Artscape.
SMUG: My wall for this years Artscape project in Partille, Göteborg. This year we were given a folk tale to base our murals on and I was given the tale of Revontulet. In the Finnish origin story of the Aurora Borealis a firefox wins favor of the villagers by igniting the sky with the Northern Lights to help a lost hiker find his way in the icy woods. This is now the tallest mural in Sweden and whispers are saying the tallest in Scandinavia.
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Mural paying tribute to farmers by Smug in Lameroo, Australia for Lameroo Silo Art. Curated by Juddy Roller.
Lameroo Silo Art: The incredible Lameroo Silo Art Project is officially completed on the Eastern Viterra Silo, in Lameroo, South Australia. The mural was completed in just 3 weeks, by the extraordinarily talented Sam ‘SMUG’ Bates, at the heels of art curators Juddy Roller! This artwork beautifully reflects Lameroo’s rich farming routes, paying tribute to the resilience of our pioneering farmers, in establishing life and livelihood. The picture aims to capture the essence of the Mallee farmer—a symbolic representation of unwavering spirit and hope, which is still alive in our community today.
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By SMUG in Glasgow, Scotland.
In collaboration with the Govan Housing Association in honour of its 50th anniversary, inspired by the Govan-born ‘Daffodil King’, Peter Barr. Barr is credited with bringing the daffodil back into fashion in the late 1800s, and the Memorial Cup is given out each year to those who follow in his footsteps and advance the standing of daffodils.
What do you think of SMUG’s street art? Do you have a favorite?
By SMUG – A Collection 1
About SMUG from Vantage Point Radio (click link to here a podcast with SMUG):
SMUG is, and has been for many years, one of the leaders in the clubhouse when it comes to realistic portrait murals. His output is beyond impressive and the number of murals he paints in a year is almost unbelievable, but to him… “it’s just what I do.” His massive portraits can span anywhere from one story to 14 stories high but the detail and crispness of the image is the same every time. Over decades of painting walls, SMUG has developed a distinctive and immediately recognizable style which is not always easy for someone who paints realistically. His selection of slightly unconventional models and more importantly his very specific use of light and shadow are undeniably SMUG and exquisitely executed every time.
On Facebook.
On Facebook.
On Facebook.
On Facebook.
