Belatucadros Wall Art

Like my collegues on Fabulous North I do like a 'fabulous find'! This is Belatucadros by an Australian artist living in Scotland called Sam Bates AKA Smug.

There are other works around the area and it's all part of a project by Blank Wall Assassins.

This work was sponsored by The Peter Tyson Tv and hi-fi shops. I believe this used to be one of their showrooms. The artwork is not apparent at first. It would be best if you stood back to admire all the details.

Smug certainly did his homework and brought a vivid mythological creation to West Street

Belatucadros was worshiped by the Celts in Cumberland and the lower-ranked Roman soldiers who identified him with Mars - The God of war. The name translates to Fair Shining One or Fair Slayer.

There are 28 inscriptions regarding Belatucadros around Hadrian's Wall, many with different spellings which suggest the lower literacy abilities of the more humble people.

This deity like others wore a horned helmet.

This wall art is certainly a show stopper and is purportedly the largest in Carlisle as of 2021 when it was completed. It was voted by Street Art Cities to be the best in the world for May that year too.

Smug AKA Sam Bates Is from Down Under and now resides in Glasgow. I believe the name Smug comes from the anime characters that he used to copy. He is mostly known for depicting large-scale life-like people, often using photos that he has taken himself. The style of his spraying is called freehand, which is without stencils and allows more spontaneity. He may use masonry paint too. This one certainly wasn't the perfect wall to paint on.

You may wish to explore other wall art in the area. You can find the information here at Blank Wall Assassins/take the tour.