Brilliant colours explode across this wall. This is The Birds Mural. It’s more than just paint. It is a Dublin Canvas project.
Dublin Canvas transforms ordinary traffic light junction boxes. The project turns them into public art. The Birds Mural is one of over 750 pieces. These pieces have been completed by diverse artists. Irish and international artists participate. They are designers and illustrators. They are all creatives.
The Birds Mural is vibrant. It adds a splash of colour to the urban landscape. Dublin Canvas is overseen by Dublin’s four councils. They constantly change the displays. Each spring brings a new call for artwork submissions.
You can follow the #DublinCanvas hashtag online. It will lead you through the city’s walking gallery. The Birds Mural is by Juliette O’Brien. It was started in 2018.
Street art tells Dublin’s story. It uses vivid colours. Transient murals bring city walls to life. Hoardings and gable ends transform. Irish street artists use their imaginations. Maser and James Earley are street artists. Aches and Conor Harrington are too. The energetic collective known as Subset is also an artist.
Cross Dublin to find ever-changing street art. Go from Portobello to Camden Street. Move through the Liberties to Smithfield. You will find art everywhere. Playful murals celebrate culture. Powerful political pieces address social issues.
Maser brings wit to Dublin’s streets. His pieces are graphic and thought-provoking. He is internationally acclaimed. Maser’s studio is in Dublin 2. His style draws upon optical and mid-century art. He uses bold colours, patterns, and text.
“U Are Alive” is on Grantham Street and Camden Street. It is one of Maser’s most loved pieces. The previous version was a collaboration with Aches.
Take the DART southbound. Spy urban wildlife at the Aviva Stadium. It is along the tunnel up to Lansdowne Road. The Walls Project collaborated with artists. Holly Pereira, Omin, and Decoy participated. The fluid mural merges diverse styles. It features a black cat. The cat moves through vibrant shapes. An urban fox bookends the work. Dan Leo created the fox. Artists for All City Records created an urban hawk. This work spans 160 metres. It is one of the country’s longest urban art projects.
James Joyce wrote about Dublin. “When I die, Dublin will be written on my heart.” Another Joyce quote is on Harmon Street. “They lived and laughed and loved and left.” Garreth Joyce and Vanessa Power recreated the quote. They encapsulated the transition of St Teresa’s Gardens.
Meet Mr Joyce’s younger self on Summerhill. He looks down from a wall of Richmond Cottages. Shane Sutton created the portrait. It joins Sutton’s mural of Brendan Behan. The Richmond Cottages Residents Association inspired both.
Blooms Hotel has a joyful riot of colour. It is in Temple Bar. The exterior is eye-catching. Molly and Leopold Bloom are at its heart. Stephen Dedalus and Buck Mulligan are there too. They are encircled by a pastiche of colours.
Wallis Bird’s portrait is along the George pub. Emmalene Blake painted it. This portrait marked the release of Bird’s album, Hands. Blake’s work changes constantly.