Streets Of Waterford

July 2018: 101 Examples of Waterford Street Art and Murals

September 29, 2026 by infomatique

I am writing this now as part of my active retrospective archive programme, using the comprehensive July 2018 survey as my foundational benchmark (the “Year Zero” baseline to trace changes forward and backward), while the newly recovered July 2017 RAW files serve as a bonus pre-baseline discovery that will follow in October.

July 2018: 101 Examples of Waterford Street Art and Murals

When I first encountered several striking murals across Waterford in May 2016, I gave them little extra thought. They appeared sporadic and unconnected—isolated splashes of colour that I assumed were merely random, independent commissions. It was not until my return in July 2017 that the penny finally dropped: an extensive body of work had emerged following the August 2016 festival. Unfortunately, a corrupted SD card left my RAW files from that 2017 trip inaccessible for years.

When structuring my current retrospective programme to document Waterford’s murals year by year, I chose the July 2018 survey as my master reference catalogue—the fixed baseline from which to track the city’s walls both forward and back. While I had originally hoped to attend the August 2018 festival, circumstances forced me to visit in July. That timing meant I missed the live painting of the 2018 additions, but it provided an uninterrupted opportunity to systematically record what was already on the ground.

Consequently, the 101 examples documented that summer capture the surviving works from Waterford Walls’ first three editions (2015, 2016, and 2017), alongside a handful of independent commissions outside the festival roster.

In an unexpected breakthrough just a few days ago, after work on this legacy project was already underway, I finally succeeded in recovering those long-lost 2017 RAW files. While it will take a few weeks to fully repair and process them for publication in October 2026, this July 2018 collection remains the definitive anchor for the entire project.

During those formative years, New Street Garden and its immediate environs served as the festival’s creative ground zero, anchoring an impressive concentration of murals across neighbouring gables, lanes, and historic streetscapes:

Sonny Sundancer: The monumental “Electric Fury” tiger mural on Newgate Street—painted in August 2017 to raise awareness for endangered wildlife, combining intricate realism with graphic, high-voltage splashes of colour.
Dan Leo: Distinctive graphic wildlife, including his prominent Blue Tit and Bunny murals within New Street Garden and on the Stephen Street gable.
Louis Masai: Striking depictions of endangered wildlife, featuring the Hammerhead Sharks on Barrack Street (2016) and the Baby Elephant on Barker Street (2017).
Joe Caslin: Monumental monochrome paper paste-ups exploring emotional vulnerability and youth mental health, mounted on high-profile facades near the quayside and New Street.
DMC (Dermot McConaghy): Expressive, large-scale portraiture positioned adjacent to the Stephen Street and Patrick Street junction.
Caoilfhionn Hanton: Expressive portraiture celebrating youth culture on the perimeter walls of New Street Community Garden.
Kathrina Rupit (KINMX): Dreamlike pieces pairing female portraiture with organic, floral motifs at the Stephen Street and New Street corner.
Jerry Rugg (BirdO): Surreal, geometric animal studies situated in the vicinity of Stephen Street and New Street.
ADOR: Satirical illustrative characters (The Cloud) on the collaborative walls of New Street Garden.
Kevin Bohan: Whimsical illustrative figures and signature Love Hearts typography inside the New Street Community Garden boundary.
Brendan Butler: A stylised, angular fox study within the New Street Garden space.
Louise McKenna: Nature and botanical illustrations, including a dedicated piece supporting Waterford Hospice along the New Street hoardings.
SHUK: Expressive urban lettering and mixed illustration spanning New Street Garden and adjoining Michael Street.

A DEEP DIVE INTO A STREET ARTIST’S WORLD

August 18, 2025 by infomatique

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This article provides a comprehensive overview of the French street artist and graphic designer known as Nerone, whose work is a highlight of the Waterford Walls festival. It delves into his background, artistic philosophy, and career, offering a fresh perspective on his vibrant and impactful contributions to urban art.

A Note on Murals in Progress

During my recent visit to Waterford for the Waterford Walls festival, I walked around 15 miles a day and travelled another 20 miles a day by bus, trying to visit various locations multiple times. This was because many of the murals were works in progress and had not been completed by the time I returned to Dublin. A challenge I encountered was identifying the artist responsible for any given piece while it was still unfinished. This is because artists typically don’t sign their work until it is completed.

A case in point is this series of photographs, which shows the day-by-day progress of a mural by the French artist Nerone. The piece, located at the rear of Dooley’s Hotel, has replaced a beautiful mural by the Spanish artist Lula Goce from Waterford Walls 2017.

Fact Check: Nerone at Waterford Walls

It’s been suggested to me that Nerone might have participated in previous Waterford Walls festivals. However, a review of his career history does not list him as having taken part in earlier events. His involvement appears to be a notable feature of the 2025 festival programme.

Who is Nerone? Clarifying the Artist’s Identity

The name “Nerone” is used in various contexts, so it’s important to clarify the subject of this article. This discussion focuses exclusively on the French artist, also known by his given name, Nicolas Chaperon. He is not to be confused with:

Sergio Terzi, the Italian painter and sculptor (born 1939)

Massimiliano Figlia, the Italian rapper (born 1991)

Seba Nerone, the Argentinian padel player

The character in Arrigo Boito’s opera

Furthermore, the name is also a commercial brand for various products, including a Louis Vuitton handbag, kitchen equipment, and an artificial intelligence consulting firm.

From Graffiti to Graphic Design: An Artistic Journey

Born in Bordeaux, France, in 1983, Nerone’s artistic journey began in the mid-1990s graffiti subculture. At the age of eleven, he started his journey under the pseudonym ‘SKIR’, immersing himself in the hip-hop and rap movements that embraced graffiti. This was a self-taught, observational period where he spent countless hours in abandoned lots, studying the work of others and using scavenged spray cans to create his first tags.

Despite this rebellious start, his path was also shaped by a more formal, creative lineage. His parents, who met at the School of Applied Arts in Bordeaux, fostered his passion for art. This dual influence became a defining feature of his artistic practice. He went on to pursue formal training in visual communication in Bordeaux before starting his professional career in graphic design in Paris. However, the restrictive corporate environment proved to be a poor fit, prompting his move to freelance work, which allowed him to combine his professional skills with the spontaneous spirit of his graffiti background.

A pivotal moment in his artistic development came in 2015 when he moved to London. He described the move as a deliberate choice to counteract the city’s “grey atmosphere” with his vibrant art. It was in London that his distinctive style—a fusion of the abstract and the organic—fully crystallised.

The Signature Style: Colourful Chaos

Nerone’s artistic signature is a unique blend of abstract techniques and organic, floral motifs. His compositions are instantly recognisable for their “luminous” and “colourful” style, often featuring his iconic “dripping flowers.” While the finished murals may appear chaotic and free-flowing, they are the result of a “meticulous and inventive process.” The spontaneity of the dripping effect is, in fact, a controlled and purposeful act.

A key element of his work is the masterful use of a bold and vibrant colour palette, including fluorescent and neon tones. He deliberately uses this intense chromatic range to create a striking contrast with often-dull urban environments. This strategic use of colour not only attracts attention but also serves to revitalise cityscapes.

Art as Therapy and Social Good

Nerone’s artistic practice is guided by a profound and explicit philosophy. He describes his work as “therapeutic” and a form of “Art Therapy,” viewing it as a conscious effort to inject positivity into a world saturated with “bad news.” His creations are imbued with an “unstoppably upbeat vibe,” offering a direct counter-narrative to the anxieties of contemporary society.

This philosophy extends to a deeply held eco-conscious ethos. He is acutely aware of the “ecological challenges and economic problems of today’s world” and consistently uses his art to spread a positive message. This is best exemplified by his 2023 project in Southampton, where he created the UK’s largest clean-air mural. The mural, featuring his fiancée, Frankie, was made using a unique paint that absorbs carbon dioxide as it cures. The work’s estimated annual absorption of CO2 is equivalent to three mature trees, demonstrating a powerful fusion of personal expression, environmental advocacy, and public art.

A Global Presence: Murals and Collaborations

Nerone’s prolific career has made his work a visible presence in major cities across the globe, including Paris, London, New York, and Seoul. He has contributed to various international festivals and events, solidifying his standing in the urban art community.

Here is a curated list of his notable public art installations and festival appearances:

2024: Pump Up The Jam art festival (Tonneins, France), Le M.U.R. de Bourges (Bourges, France), AOTA Festival (Florida, USA)

2023: Mural in Montignac-Lascaux (France), Super Walls Festival (Padova, Italy), UK’s largest clean air mural (Southampton, UK), Mural for Airthrill (Edinburgh, Scotland)

2022: Mural for The Economist (London, UK), Mural in Bethnal Green (UK), Mural for Airthrill (Glasgow, UK), Mural in Liverpool (UK), Mural for Netflix (undisclosed location)

2021: Hit The North Festival (Belfast, Northern Ireland), Super Walls Festival (Padova, Italy), Street Art New Brighton (New Brighton, UK)

2020: London Mural Festival (London, UK), Mural in Shoreditch (London, UK), Commission for the city of Montpellier (France)

2019: Mural for Crisis UK (London, UK), Formula E (Marrakech, Morocco)

2018: Mural in New York City (USA), International Flower Show (Seoul, Korea), Formula E (Marrakech, Morocco)

2017: International Flowers Festival (Seoul, Korea), Flower Show Turkey (Istanbul, Turkey)

Beyond his public murals, Nerone has also cultivated a substantial studio practice, producing canvases and limited-edition prints. His works have been exhibited in galleries across multiple countries, demonstrating that his art is valued for both its public presence and its enduring appeal in private collections.

Commercial Success and Public Reception

Nerone’s career is marked by an impressive portfolio of collaborations with major international brands, highlighting his commercial viability and the broad appeal of his aesthetic. He has created murals for Jaguar Land Rover, a cruise ship for Celebrity Cruises, and packaging for Danone. A notable partnership was a limited-edition beer label for Pirate Life Brewing, where a portion of the sales contributed to a fund to get more art on walls across Australia—a powerful example of using commercial work for social good.

Here is an overview of some of his key commercial partnerships:

2022: Netflix, The Economist

2021: Lindeman’s, Pirate Life Brewing

2020: Celebrity Cruises

2019: Crisis UK, Danone

2018: Puma

Undated: Jaguar Land Rover

The artist has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from critics and the public. He is widely praised as one of the most “fascinating and prolific French street artists of the 21st century.” His style is consistently described as “sublime” and is regarded as a “fresh breath in the world of street art.” However, there has been a singular instance of resistance, where an elderly woman in New Brighton expressed her preference for the previous “grey wall,” wanting to preserve her old memories of the street. This anecdote illustrates the challenges of transforming public spaces with pre-existing personal or communal history.

A Lasting Legacy

Nerone’s legacy lies in his ability to blend diverse influences into a coherent and forward-thinking artistic practice. His work is a powerful synthesis of the spontaneous energy of his early graffiti days and the precise structure of his graphic design background.

By consistently infusing his work with a positive, upbeat vibe and a conscious message about ecological and social challenges, he has positioned himself as a significant contributor to a new wave of socially aware urban artists. His career provides a compelling model for how street artists can successfully navigate the transition from a subcultural movement to a professional practice, blending commercial success with artistic integrity and a profound sense of social consciousness.

Final Thoughts

The French street artist Nerone has established a formidable and enduring presence in the global art landscape. His journey, from a teenage graffiti practitioner to an internationally celebrated muralist, demonstrates a remarkable evolution of his craft. His art, characterised by a meticulous fusion of abstract and floral motifs, offers a vibrant and optimistic counter-narrative to the realities of urban life.

Nerone’s work is a testament to the power of art to inspire and effect change. By consciously using his creations as a form of “Art Therapy” and by embracing environmentally friendly techniques, he has proven that art can be both aesthetically beautiful and deeply purposeful. His impressive catalogue of global murals and his successful forays into the gallery and commercial spheres solidify his position as a vanguard in contemporary urban art.

BY ANIMALITOLAND FROM ARGENTINA FOR WATERFORD WALLS 2018 DOYLE STREET – ST IGNATIUS STREET

August 17, 2025 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED AUGUST 2025

Animalitoland’s mural from the 2018 festival is located on Doyle Street, near its junction with St Ignatius Street. The mural depicts a large, purplish, bear-like creature sitting, with its head thrown back in a joyous, laughing expression. It holds a small, childlike figure wearing a red hoodie, who in turn holds a glowing, lightbulb-like object. The scene is set against a vibrant background that radiates a warm, yellow light from behind the large creature, with abstract, geometric shapes and symbols on the left side of the building’s facade. The style is recognisably consistent with the artist’s signature aesthetic, which often features “fantastic creatures” and children in a “colourful explosion”. The presence of this artwork, and its clear recognisability, reinforces the festival’s success in commissioning works that resonate with the public while maintaining artistic integrity.

In August 2018, the city of Waterford was transformed into a large-scale outdoor gallery as it hosted the fourth edition of the Waterford Walls festival. Among the numerous artworks that emerged from this event was a mural by Argentinian artist Graciela Gonçalves Da Silva, an artist better known by her moniker, Animalitoland. Situated at the corner of Doyle Street and St Ignatius Street, this specific mural stands out not only for its artistic merit but also for its exceptional state of preservation. The fact that an outdoor public artwork, exposed to the elements for several years, has survived so well invites a deeper inquiry into the artist, the festival, and the unique socio-cultural dynamics that contribute to the endurance of street art.

Graciela Gonçalves Da Silva’s artistic journey is defined by a significant transition from a conventional career path to a life of creative freedom. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she pursued a formal education, graduating with a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Buenos Aires. For over a decade, she honed her craft in various visual fields, including comics, fanzines, animation, video games, toys, and graphic design. However, she found her true calling in 2011 when she began painting freely in the streets, a decision she describes as a “personal and artistic revolution”.

This monumental shift in her life culminated in 2014 when she made the definitive choice to leave her designer job to become a full-time artist and a self-described “world nomad”. This nomadic existence, which has taken her to countries including Spain, Germany, the UK, France, Hungary, China, and Canada, is central to her creative process. It has enabled her to establish a global artistic footprint, with more than 60 murals created across the American continent, Europe, and Asia. This constant motion is not a sign of instability but rather a deliberate choice that provides her with the energy and inspiration to tackle new ideas continuously.

The 2018 edition of the festival was particularly significant, marking a substantial increase in scale and ambition. The event ran for a full ten days, from the 17th to the 26th of August, and brought together a spectacular line-up of between 45 and 50 local, national, and international artists. This expansion provided a larger and more prominent platform for artists and was accompanied by an extensive programme of ancillary events, including workshops, guided tours, and expert panel talks.

The festival’s roster was a testament to its growing international prestige, attracting globally recognised artists such as Fintan Magee from Australia, Dan Kitchener from the UK, and Sonny from South Africa. Notably, Animalitoland was a returning artist for the 2018 festival , having previously painted in Waterford in 2017. Her return underscores the high calibre of the talent the festival attracts and her established relationship with the event’s organisers. This dynamic illustrates the festival’s role in leveraging high-calibre artistic talent to achieve its social and economic goals for the city.

THE SCRIBBLE GRID IN ACTION AND A WORK IN PROGRESS AT THE GLEN

August 17, 2025 by infomatique

WATERFORD WALLS HUB 2025

As I could not book a hotel room for Saturday or Sunday many of the planned murals had yet to be completed so many that I photographed were very much unfinished but hopefully I can revisit them next year.

I’ve finally had the opportunity to photograph something I’ve always wanted to capture: a mural created using the scribble grid technique. This mural is a work in progress at The Glen, part of the Waterford Walls Hub 2025 event. While I don’t know the exact artist yet, it’s one of the following: AndyMc, HOCK, Kohneshia, Kone, Rocket01, WRN, or Zurdie.

What Is a Scribble Grid?

The scribble grid, also known as a doodle grid or lazy grid, is a clever technique used by artists, especially muralists, to scale up a design from a small sketch to a large wall. Unlike a traditional, precisely measured grid, this method allows for more spontaneity and is perfect for irregular or textured surfaces.

Here’s a breakdown of how the process typically works:

Preparation: The artist first creates their design digitally and takes a photo of the wall where the mural will be painted.

The Grid: On the actual wall, the artist draws a series of random, non-uniform shapes, letters, or scribbles. These aren’t meant to be neat; they simply act as a unique set of reference points across the surface. This can be done with chalk, spray paint, or a brush.

Overlay: The artist then takes a photo of the wall with the scribbles on it. They import this photo into their digital software, placing it on a layer beneath their mural design. By making the mural design partially transparent, they can see the scribbles underneath.

Transfer: Using the overlaid image as a guide, the artist notes where the lines of their design intersect with the random scribbles on the wall. For example, a line might start where a letter ‘G’ is drawn and end where it crosses a curvy line.

Painting: Using these “scribble intersections” as a guide, the artist transfers their design onto the wall, ensuring the proportions and placement are correct.

This method is fast, flexible, and doesn’t require a ruler or a projector, making it a modern, less rigid alternative to the traditional grid method. It allows artists to maintain accuracy while adopting a more freehand approach.

THIS CONE SHAPED OPJECT CAN BE SEEN AT HENNESSEY’S ROAD IN WATERFORD

August 16, 2025 by infomatique

I COULD NOT ESTABLISH IF IT IS A SCULPTURE

I first photographed this large cone many years ago and could not determine if it was a work of art or if it served some other purpose. A year ago I saw a photograph of it online and it was described as follows: “This monument was completed in 2008 by Waterford City Council. Allegedly it is to commemorate the old City Boundary.”

The cone-shaped monument on Hennessy’s Road is a compelling piece of public art with a clear, likely purpose. My follow up research confirms that its location aligns with a historical boundary of the County Borough of Waterford. The sculpture’s powerful and symbolic form, particularly the deliberate vertical split, serves as a fitting visual metaphor for a line of division, strengthening the argument that it is a monument commemorating this specific civic boundary.

However, the claims regarding its commissioning by Waterford City Council and its installation date of 2008 could not be verified. The absence of documentation in the records of known public art commissioning bodies suggests that the sculpture’s origin may be a private or unique project, rather than a standard municipal commission. The 2008 date is likely a point of local lore.