Some murals use art to brighten up an area; others can harness it to make political and social statements. Murals may unify a community – but they can also be contentious. Whether commissioned or impulsive, celebratory or critical, narrative or abstract, we asked you to share pictures and stories of murals that are important in your community or have shaped the identity of your city. From Pisa and Lisbon to Sheffield and Skopje, here’s some of your favourite urban murals and what they mean for your city.
Belfast, UK
A symbol of Belfast
Iconic murals in Belfast that have become symbols of Northern Ireland, depicting the region's past and present political and religious divisions
Lisbon, Portugal
mural in Lisbon City Centre
referring to woeful government cuts and EEC bailout conditions
anniversary of carnation revolution
To commenorate the Carnation Revolution when Salazar was overthrown in a bloodless coup in Portugal.
Sheffield, UK
Phlegm mural, Sheffield
A mural by street artist Phlegm on Brown Street in Sheffield. As much a local landmark as the yellow Rutland Arms pub. Part of Sheffield's 'Creative Industries Quarter'.
Pembroke, Canada
Stagecoach in a hurry
Another in the impressive series of murals in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, recreating people and historic events in the city's history.
London, UK
The Cork and Kerry Mountains of Shepherds Bush
It's been there for 35 years. A reminder of the once strong Irish community in this art of West London.
Gentrification in the city
This mural was painted in response to the development and subsequent gentrification of the Heygate Estate in South London. It was part of the backdrop to a range of socially-led activities organised by people that colonised the site before it was demolished
Grimsby Street RIP Lee and Muz
Where Grimsby Street meets Cheshire Street. Regularly updated. Street Artists memorial to lost friends. This is the current one.
Milan, Italy
Borsellino and Falcone in Milan
Borsellino is considered one of the heroes symbol of the fight against the Mafia in Italy and internationally , along with Giovanni Falcone , of which he was a friend and colleague .
Portsmouth, UK
My Dog Sighs
I consider myself very lucky to live in the same city as legendary street artist My Dog Sighs. His work can be seen on walls, hoardings and billboards all around Portsmouth. But he has also had success elsewhere, for example in London and Bristol, as well as the USA amongst other places. Along with another local artist, Los Dave, he helped launch 'free art Fridays' which have become a phenomenon in other towns and cities as well. He has also collaborated with a number of other artists, most recently and very successfully with another Portsmouth rising star, Midge.
Melilla, Spain
Mural on the wall of the Jail of Melilla (Spain)
In 2013 the artistic group "Kahina" painted together with the prisoners of the local jail and the neighbors 2 huge concrete walls on the external part of the local jail of Melilla, a Spanish territory located in Northern Africa. The prison was built in the middle of one of the suburbs of the city called Monte María Cristina. The kids use to play near the area and the idea was to make invisible the prison painting on the concrete wall a long queue of houses inspired by the local houses' style. It was the first mural in the area conceived in a participatory way with neighbors and the first artistic work made to ameliorate this suburb area in which the majority of the population is from Amazigh-Berber origin. The group Kahina (kahinarte.com) works with an artistic focus in the suburbs of Melilla.
Skopje, Macedonia
When buildings literaly eat up nature
This mural is basically mirroring the bad urbanism in Skopje with complete disregard of nature in struggle for real-estate profits.
Leeds, UK
Mabgate Mural
In a back street in Leeds, showing some of the area's history
Krakow, Poland
Krakow mural
On Dajwor Street in the old Kazimierz Jewish area of Krakow, I came across a relatively new mural depicting and celebrating aspects of Jewish culture
