‘We just wanted to brighten up the place’: Artists’ anger as murals defaced day after Larne paint jam

Murals have been defaced a day after artists descended on Larne underpass for a street art festival.

The second Hit The Coast paint jam was held near the Narrow Gauge Road at the weekend.

But several creations were daubed with UVF tags and male genitalia.

Adam Turkington has been running Hit The North in Belfast for over the decade and took part in the Larne event.

“Street art is such a delicate art form,” he said, “but it takes just one kid with a spray can to ruin days of work.

“Where other pieces can last 10 years or more in the one spot, these only lasted a day before they were drawn over.”

Mr Turkington said this isn’t the first time artwork at an event has been destroyed soon after it was completed.

“The same thing happened last time we held an event like this in Larne, back in 2022,” he said.

“There were only six artists last time — there were more than 30 there at the weekend, a much bigger affair — but the last time they got tagged over too.

“The tags and style of the graffiti is the same as last time, so there’s a likelihood it’s the same person.”

Mr Turkington, the owner of Seedhead Arts, said the culprit seemed to target female artists’ work.

“There’s more than a whiff of misogyny here,” he said.

“It’s a real shame someone has to daub over women’s artwork with pictures of penises.

“But there are bigger things at play here.

“Street art is of course a public dialogue, but there are certain elements of society… We can’t fix a bunch of disenfranchised youths, for example, with a paint jam.

“We had similar issues back when Hit The North started, where some pieces were destroyed before the festival was even finished.”

The festival had been funded by the local Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

Mr Turkington said artists had been “so excited” to get started.

“It was the perfect location in a sense — big walls, under cover if it rains, runs right next to a river. It was great in terms of running this style of event,” he said.

“Those commissioning the tender wanted to brighten up the place and help transform that area but, as artists, it’s not up to us to fix society’s ills unfortunately.

“It’s difficult that some artists will now have to go and take the time to fix their artwork, which is not our job. As artists, it’s our job to make grey and boring places more aesthetically pleasing.”

Nuala Convery, who is better known as street artist Wee Nuls, had her mural defaced in Larne.

She said her piece was special to her, as she designed it when she was pregnant two years ago.

“During the event, people were so delighted we were brightening up the place, which is all we wanted to do,” she said.

“There’s not that much imagery of pregnancy in general, never mind in murals and street art.

“I was so happy with the piece, and anyone who saw it liked it. So it’s not so much personally disappointing as it is for the community who loved it too.

“It’s clear that this has been done mindlessly by someone who is not in graffiti culture.”

Ms Convery said it took her two and a half days to complete her work.

“I now have to spend another two days fixing it,” she explained.

“I think if the area had some street lighting it might help deter this kind of anti-social behaviour.”

Ms Convery previously had a mural daubed over in black paint soon after International Women’s Day in 2021.

The piece depicted one of Nuala’s signature colourful characters during mensuration and called for ‘Free period products now!’, showing support for the Menstruation Matters campaign run by The Homeless Period Belfast.

Mid & East Antrim council said it was “extremely disappointed” by the vandalism. It said: “The council have put in place arrangements to remove the damaging graffiti and repair the installations.”