TWO BLACK AND WHITE MURALS BY SHANE SUTTON
Urban Wildlife in High Contrast: Shane Sutton’s Canal Swans & City Fox
Along the canal corridor where Lower Dorset Street meets the Royal Canal towpath, a pair of striking monochromatic murals transforms a routine urban commute into an outdoor gallery. Created by Dublin artist Shane Sutton, these large-scale pieces showcase local wildlife claiming space within the built environment.
The Royal Canal Murals
The Royal Canal Swans: Stretched across the boundary wall along the pedestrian and cycleway, this massive 2025 piece captures swans taking flight from the water in explosive, high-contrast detail. Signed and dated "Shane Sutton '25", the monochrome palette gives dramatic depth to the spray of water and feather textures against raw concrete.
The City Foxes: Positioned across the way on the side wall near the Dorset Street Bridge / St. Vincent de Paul side wall (59 Dorset Street Lower), City Foxes serves as the companion piece. Rendered in the same razor-sharp black-and-white style, the prowling fox highlights Sutton's ongoing exploration of urban fauna adapting to Dublin's cityscapes.
Shane Sutton
While Shane Sutton is widely recognised for his stencil-heavy "Spacer" / Astronaut series—where helmeted figures explore urban canvas landscapes—his "Dublin Black and White" series shifts focus toward organic movement and local ecosystems. His technique combines precise stencil work with fine spray-paint gradients to make high-contrast subjects pop against dark, atmospheric backgrounds.
Shane is an highly skilled artist with a fervent passion for multiple disciplines, including traditional painting, film-making, and street art. His diverse range of talents spans various mediums, and his current focus is on street, canvas, and digital art, which he explores through his street art persona, SPACER. Shane’s work embodies the intersection of art and technology, producing technically resonant works that delve into themes and ideas in innovative and unexpected ways.
Shane’s notable achievements include an art residency with the European Space Agency (ESA UK) and winning the Graffiti without Gravity street art competition with the ESA (Holland). As a painter, he has created a body of work that explores a wide range of subjects, from the impact of technology on our lives to themes within the street art genre. Shane’s contributions to film have also garnered significant recognition, with multiple awards from international film festivals and a nomination for best editing at the Irish Film and Television Awards.
Shane Sutton at Waterford Walls
For those, including myself, planning to visit the Waterford Walls festival starting in a few days from now.
Festival Participation: Shane Sutton was an official featured artist for the Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival.
Mural Location: His designated piece is located at 137 Morrison's Road, Waterford (Postcode: X91 Y3EK).
Subject Matter: In contrast to the natural wildlife theme along the Royal Canal, his Waterford Walls piece features his signature "Spacer" astronaut motif, which was also integrated into the festival's digital augmented reality (AR) app trails.
The Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival runs from Friday, 7 August to Sunday, 16 August 2026. Over these ten days, more than 70 local, national, and international artists will paint large-scale murals across Waterford City.
Daily Ongoing Activities (7–16 August)
Live Painting across the City: Artists will be working in public throughout the ten days, allowing visitors to watch murals develop in real time.
The Festival Hub: Open daily as the central gathering space, featuring live painting, DJs, a licensed bar, and outdoor entertainment.
Guided Walking Tours: Regular guided tours exploring the developing and past mural locations throughout the city centre.
Trail Maps: Physical maps for self-guided walks are available at Waterford Tourist Information, Number 21 on The Glen, and Luca Records.
Key Scheduled Events & Highlights
Tuesday, 11 August
Film Screening: Martha: A Picture Story
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Waterford Gallery of Art
Details: A special screening documenting photographer Martha Cooper and her iconic photography capturing 1970s New York graffiti culture.
Saturday, 15 August
Annual Waterford Walls Street Party & Breaking Showcase
Location: Thomas Street Pocket Park
Details: The flagship street culture event featuring live painting, breakdancing battles (Recession Squad showcase), freestyles, cyphers, DJs, and family entertainment throughout the day.
Artist Talks & Panel Discussions
Artist Talk with Mr Cenz: London-based artist Mr Cenz shares insights into his career, signature surreal portraits, linework, and graffiti lettering, followed by a live audience Q&A.
Interactive Workshops
Kids Graffiti Workshop (Ages 12–18): Hands-on spray painting, lettering, and mural marking guided by experienced street artists.
Adults Graffiti Workshop: Beginners' sessions covering composition, lettering styles, and spray-can techniques.
Draw & Dine Experiences: Social creative evenings hosted alongside local venue partners throughout the festival week.
About The SVP
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) was founded in Ireland in 1844. It is the largest voluntary charitable organisation in Ireland. During its history, it has helped people in need through Famine, a Civil War, a War of Independence, two World Wars and several economic recessions.
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organisation in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor.
Innumerable Catholic parishes have established "conferences", most of which affiliate with a diocesan council. Among its varied efforts to offer material help to the poor or needy, the Society also has thrift stores (charity shops in Ireland such as Vincent's) which sell donated goods at a low price and raise money for the poor. There are a great variety of outreach programs sponsored by the local conferences and councils, addressing local needs for social services.
Along the canal corridor where Lower Dorset Street meets the Royal Canal towpath, a pair of striking monochromatic murals transforms a routine urban commute into an outdoor gallery. Created by Dublin artist Shane Sutton, these large-scale pieces showcase local wildlife claiming space within the built environment.
The Royal Canal Murals
The Royal Canal Swans: Stretched across the boundary wall along the pedestrian and cycleway, this massive 2025 piece captures swans taking flight from the water in explosive, high-contrast detail. Signed and dated "Shane Sutton '25", the monochrome palette gives dramatic depth to the spray of water and feather textures against raw concrete.
The City Foxes: Positioned across the way on the side wall near the Dorset Street Bridge / St. Vincent de Paul side wall (59 Dorset Street Lower), City Foxes serves as the companion piece. Rendered in the same razor-sharp black-and-white style, the prowling fox highlights Sutton's ongoing exploration of urban fauna adapting to Dublin's cityscapes.
Shane Sutton
While Shane Sutton is widely recognised for his stencil-heavy "Spacer" / Astronaut series—where helmeted figures explore urban canvas landscapes—his "Dublin Black and White" series shifts focus toward organic movement and local ecosystems. His technique combines precise stencil work with fine spray-paint gradients to make high-contrast subjects pop against dark, atmospheric backgrounds.
Shane is an highly skilled artist with a fervent passion for multiple disciplines, including traditional painting, film-making, and street art. His diverse range of talents spans various mediums, and his current focus is on street, canvas, and digital art, which he explores through his street art persona, SPACER. Shane’s work embodies the intersection of art and technology, producing technically resonant works that delve into themes and ideas in innovative and unexpected ways.
Shane’s notable achievements include an art residency with the European Space Agency (ESA UK) and winning the Graffiti without Gravity street art competition with the ESA (Holland). As a painter, he has created a body of work that explores a wide range of subjects, from the impact of technology on our lives to themes within the street art genre. Shane’s contributions to film have also garnered significant recognition, with multiple awards from international film festivals and a nomination for best editing at the Irish Film and Television Awards.
Shane Sutton at Waterford Walls
For those, including myself, planning to visit the Waterford Walls festival starting in a few days from now.
Festival Participation: Shane Sutton was an official featured artist for the Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival.
Mural Location: His designated piece is located at 137 Morrison's Road, Waterford (Postcode: X91 Y3EK).
Subject Matter: In contrast to the natural wildlife theme along the Royal Canal, his Waterford Walls piece features his signature "Spacer" astronaut motif, which was also integrated into the festival's digital augmented reality (AR) app trails.
The Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival runs from Friday, 7 August to Sunday, 16 August 2026. Over these ten days, more than 70 local, national, and international artists will paint large-scale murals across Waterford City.
Daily Ongoing Activities (7–16 August)
Live Painting across the City: Artists will be working in public throughout the ten days, allowing visitors to watch murals develop in real time.
The Festival Hub: Open daily as the central gathering space, featuring live painting, DJs, a licensed bar, and outdoor entertainment.
Guided Walking Tours: Regular guided tours exploring the developing and past mural locations throughout the city centre.
Trail Maps: Physical maps for self-guided walks are available at Waterford Tourist Information, Number 21 on The Glen, and Luca Records.
Key Scheduled Events & Highlights
Tuesday, 11 August
Film Screening: Martha: A Picture Story
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Waterford Gallery of Art
Details: A special screening documenting photographer Martha Cooper and her iconic photography capturing 1970s New York graffiti culture.
Saturday, 15 August
Annual Waterford Walls Street Party & Breaking Showcase
Location: Thomas Street Pocket Park
Details: The flagship street culture event featuring live painting, breakdancing battles (Recession Squad showcase), freestyles, cyphers, DJs, and family entertainment throughout the day.
Artist Talks & Panel Discussions
Artist Talk with Mr Cenz: London-based artist Mr Cenz shares insights into his career, signature surreal portraits, linework, and graffiti lettering, followed by a live audience Q&A.
Interactive Workshops
Kids Graffiti Workshop (Ages 12–18): Hands-on spray painting, lettering, and mural marking guided by experienced street artists.
Adults Graffiti Workshop: Beginners' sessions covering composition, lettering styles, and spray-can techniques.
Draw & Dine Experiences: Social creative evenings hosted alongside local venue partners throughout the festival week.
About The SVP
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP) was founded in Ireland in 1844. It is the largest voluntary charitable organisation in Ireland. During its history, it has helped people in need through Famine, a Civil War, a War of Independence, two World Wars and several economic recessions.
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organisation in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor.
Innumerable Catholic parishes have established "conferences", most of which affiliate with a diocesan council. Among its varied efforts to offer material help to the poor or needy, the Society also has thrift stores (charity shops in Ireland such as Vincent's) which sell donated goods at a low price and raise money for the poor. There are a great variety of outreach programs sponsored by the local conferences and councils, addressing local needs for social services.
SHANE SUTTON