“‘For us there is no valid definition of socialism other than the abolition of the exploitation of one human being by another’ – Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, Marxist revolutionary, 1928-1967.” The line comes from Che’s address at the Afro-Asian Economic conference in Algeria in 1965.
These Lasaır Dhearg (web) stencils and stickers also propose that it is “time for a socialist republic” (drawing inspiration from James Connolly) and that “the PSNI is not a normal police force” (for background see Just Don’t in the Seosamh Mac Coılle collection).
Stewartstown Road, west Belfast. For the same stencil of Connolly, though providing a better representation of the man, see Time For A Socialist Republic.
“Joseph, 23” is Joseph Burns, from north Belfast, who died in 2014 of a cardiac arrest. This is one of a dozen British Heart Foundation murals across the UK featuring victims below the age of 35 (Belfast Media | BelTel | Belfast Live). The other murals in the series – in Birmingham (Wolverhampton), Cardiff (Abertysswg), Chesterfield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London (Essex, West Drayton), Newcastle, Nottingham, Southampton (x2) – are tied to the person’s support for a national soccer team (BBC | BHF).
“This is Joseph. He had his whole life ahead of him. A life full of hopes and dreams. But those dreams were sadly snatched away when he died. Each week, 12 young people are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK. Only with your support can be fund the lifesaving scientific research that will help put a stop to this tragic reality. Please donate today.”
Here is a gallery of 13 pieces painted for Hit The North 2024 on Union Street below Kent Street. In order, from top to bottom, they are by …
Psoman (ig) David McMillan (ig) Alexandra (ig) Shona Hardie (ig) Perspicere (ig) Novice (ig) JMK (ig) Katriona (ig) Klo Wi (ig) ?Moira Fowley? (ig) Kerrie Hanna (ig) Ana Fish (ig) BOGS (MOS profile)
Finally, there are two pieces inside the construction site, by EOIN (ig) and FGB (ig).
Here is a gallery of the new street art on the south side of Kent Street, produced for Hit The North (HTN24) this weekend. Images of completed works are from May 6th; in-progress shots are from the fifth.
The tribute to Lyra McKee is still on the corner with Union Street. The piece by Mack Signs (ig), above, then follows, and, heading towards Royal Avenue, we have:
Jayde Perkin (ig) Verz (ig) Leo Boyd (ig) Danni Simpson (ig) Two small boards on the fencing, by Sweat, Tears, And The Sea (ig) and Chain Gun Art (ig) Wee Nuls (ig) (done the previous weekend, as she then went to Glasgow Yardworks) KAYOS (ig) ESTR (ig) perhaps still unfinished Kilian (ig) Magdalena Karol (ig) Lovely Letters (ig) Karl Fenz (ig) Lucie FLynn (ig) Glen Molloy (ig) Codo (ig) Keyto (ig)
Here is a gallery of the new street art from Kent street above Union Street and on the north side of Kent Street below Union Street, painted for 2024’s Hit The North festival. For the south side of Kent Street, see Happy Accidents.
“upper” Kent Street: Odisy (ig) & Vibes (ig) Kitsune (ig) Rob Hilken (ig) unknown writer Artista (ig)
Here is a gallery of street art and writing/graffiti art from Union Street (above Kent Street) and Library Street, in Belfast city centre, painted for Hit The North 2024.
Here is a gallery of three waves of painting (24 pieces) from the Project 24 space (Spectator) on Queen’s Parade, Bangor. From top to bottom, the images are from late March, the bank holiday at the start of April, and mid April. (The wall was also painted in January – see Stop Ruining Art.)
Above is a self-portrait by artist Jossie Pops (Johnny Hamilton) (ig) who also painted the portrait of actor Gerard Butler immediately below. Shortly, after, RickyDrewAPiccy added a piece between these two – a robot with the words “Don’t drink flat whites. Don’t wear massive coats. Don’t be a robot.” (Fb) – but it was quickly replaced by the Codo heads (under ‘April 7th’, below).
Here is an INLA/IRSP/RSYM pro-Palestine mural from Derry (see also يومنا قادم). “PFLP” stands for “Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine” (WP). A very similar PFLP-INLA board was seen in west Belfast: Peoples United. There was PFLP graffiti in Creggan: Victory To The PFLP.
The first two are from William Street and the Bogside; the small INLA nail-up in the final image is in Creggan.
“Down the Woodstock” and “Up the Cregagh”. The two roads run into each other, heading north-south between Albert Bridge and Lisnabreeny in east Belfast. The Woodstock Road shops are getting a number of new streetart pieces thanks to a consortium of local businesses, including the two shown here.
The racing trap is by Visual Waste (ig) ((with support from Decowell Restoration (web), Bethany Fruit (web) and Astrl Fibres (ig)) in Willowfield Gardens and the (painted) signage by unknown artists in Oberon Street.
There is already a large mural reading “Up The Cregagh” on the road.
Paddy Duffy Collection 