The best Sheffield murals by European street artists

Sheffield has lots of incredible local talent that has created much of the fantastic street art across our city. We’ve also attracted talent from further afield. With the Eurovision final this weekend (being hosted in the UK for the first time in 25 years), we thought we’d take a look at some of our favourite murals by artists from the continent.

Austria

Despite being a large mural, Frau Isa’s beautiful artwork on the side of the Red Deer can be easily missed as most people approach the pub from the other direction. However, it’s stunning and well worth taking a wander to see.

Frau Isa creates bold murals featuring female characters that often have a calm and fragile appearance. She is influenced by nostalgia and her love of vintage aesthetics. Her choice of colours for the Red Deer mural work perfectly with the pubs exterior; it almost looks as if the mural has always been a part of the pub’s facade.

France

It almost feels like cheating including Florence Blanchard on this list as she has made Sheffield her home. However, she originates from France where she became one of the first female graffiti artists in the country during the 1990s.

Florence’s artworks will be familiar to many people in Sheffield. It usually comprises of colourful abstract molecules, inspired by her scientific background (she has a PhD from New York University).

There were many Sheffield murals we could have picked to represent Florence’s work here. We went with her Twinkl Way artwork. This colourful wall is one of Sheffield’s longest uninterrupted murals.

This colourful wall by French artist Nelio has long disappeared due to the rapid redevelopment of the St Vincent’s Quarter of the city centre. It was created in 2016 as part of Feature Walls and was one of the larger murals painted for the festival.

Italy

Italian artist Giacomo Bufarini, who goes by the name RUN, is now based in London. Last summer, he spent some time in Sheffield and created this colourful mural as part of ‘Murals across the CIQ’ for the Out & About programme of summer events.

Apparently, RUN’s mural is called ‘Take One’ as the artist came up with the idea on his first attempt and it just worked.

The mural is slightly hidden away in the courtyard of Sidney & Matilda. When the courtyard gates are open, it’s well worth checking out.

One of the shorter-lived murals featured here is this one by Agostino Lacurci. Painted in 2016 on Charles Street, it wasn’t long before it disappeared as the Heart of the City developers moved in. It’s a shame as it was a great piece.

Agostino’s mural of a car surrounded by plants was created for Feature Walls.

JupiterFab is an internationally renowned Italian street artist, now based in Mexico. In 2019, he painted the incredible ‘The Conversation’ mural in Kelham Island. This artwork was commissioned by the University of Sheffield.

JupiterFab uses his art to reflect on modern society. Technology’s impact on our lives is a common theme in his work. His Sheffield mural depicts three women deep in conversation with their mobile phones piled up behind them. A reminder that it’s good to talk face to face.

Spain

The final mural to be featured here is one of our favourites. It’s by the Spanish street artist Nano 4814.

It’s bold and colourful design is typical of Nano’s style. He likes to present characters confined within the space that his artworks reside. This can be seen on this mural as three characters are entwined together pushed up against the edges of the wall.

Originally painted in 2016, it can still be found hidden away on Bailey Lane. Sadly the plaster work has started to deteriorate, but it still looks impressive.