Photography by: Creative Collective

The Resident

Watch a video about the creation of this mural

SmugOne, The Resident, 2019. Acrylic and latex on permanent composite panels , 63 x 85 ft. Public art. ©SmugOne. All rights reserved.

Beyond Walls flew Smug in from Scotland. He is known for his hyper realism style of painting, and he often focuses on a spot in his painting subjects that brings unique character to the piece, such as a mole or a snaggle tooth. That unique detail often becomes the focus of the pieces.

When he arrived, he told the Beyond Walls team that he wanted to flip his focus for this project, and feature a beautiful black man. The team knew the perfect model: Ferns François, a videographer of Haitian descent who lives in the building that was to be painted. He agreed, and now stands nearly 8 stories tall and has become an integral part of the Lynn skyline! That’s why the piece is called “The Resident.”

Smug used spray paint and liquid paint to get the coloration of the skin just right.

Fun fact: Smug is an avid sneaker collector, and mostly focuses on collecting Nikes. The shoes featured in the piece have significance, and fellow sneaker aficionados know their significance right when they look at the piece.

Smug

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The Heart + Soul installation is a retrospective of some of the many murals and pieces of art created by artists in collaboration with Beyond Walls. In the fall of 2020, Beyond Walls presented the street art festival Truth Be Told in Lynn, Massachusetts. The artwork featured in the Truth Be Told festival was born of the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the idiosyncrasies of the times. Heart + Soul is a collection of photographs and digital art examining the interplay between community and art. The subjects and symbols within the works reflect the resilience of the diverse people where they reside. As the photographs celebrate the community, Heart + Soul aims to create space that not only reflects the vibrant diversity of the staff and patient community, but celebrates them.

This collection is the result of generous donations from Mass General Imaging and the MGH Office of Equity and Community Health.

Other work from Heart + Soul