Daffodil King and St Mungo by SMUG
An Lanntair is proud to host a major new public artwork in Stornoway, co-designed by care experienced and disadvantaged young people from Lewis and Harris and created in collaboration with internationally acclaimed mural artist Smug.
The project is led by Articulate Cultural Trust, an arts organisation based in Glasgow and dedicated to realising the cultural rights of care experienced children and young people. Over the past two years, young people involved in the project have taken part in photography, visual arts, and creative writing workshops exploring identity, belonging, and representation in the Western Isles. Members of the group have twice travelled to Glasgow’s Yardworks Festival, where they experienced large-scale street art firsthand and began imagining what a mural in their own community could become.
The mural at An Lanntair will form part of a growing national movement of public artworks shaped by care experienced young people, including prominent sites Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee. Through this project, young people in the Western Isles are creating a visible statement of what is important to them, alongside the views and perceptions of other young Scots.
The artwork will be installed by Smug, arguably the best photo realist street artist in the world. Originally from Australia he now resides in Glasgow where he has installed multiple well-loved murals including St Mungo on High Street, Wee Georgie in Govan and Scotland’s largest mural, The Keeper of Light in the Merchant City.
This mural is not just about transforming a wall. It is about transforming how young people are seen, understood, and supported in our communities. The installation will be complemented with a programme of creative activities and discussions for young people to understand what their cultural rights are and how they can keep creativity, culture and the arts in their lives.
The large-scale gable end mural will become a powerful new landmark for the town, celebrating creativity, identity, resilience, and the right of every young person to be seen, heard, and valued.
The project has been funded by The National Lottery Young Start Fund, CLLD Youth Local Action Group (YLAG) and Articulate Cultural Trust.
