BUMP unveils massive mural on Stephen Avenue

CALGARY (CityNews) — A brand new mural is catching plenty of attention along Stephen Avenue.

With 61 gallons of paint, 290 cans of spray paint, and a 110-ft canvas, Astro, a graffiti artist from Paris, has managed to catch the eye of many Calgarians.

“This wall represents my art, so a mix of graffiti, geometric shapes, and optical illusion,” says Astro.

“We stayed ten days on the wall, working all the time.”

Astro is the first international artist that BUMP has brought to the city since the start of the pandemic.

He was scheduled to come to Calgary in 2020, but due to travel restrictions, had to postpone his painting for another year.

While it was disappointing to push back the international artists, BUMP’s executive director, Dexter Bruneau, says the pandemic also provided an opportunity for local creators.

“I think this year was about half local artists including a variety of artists who have not painted murals at any scale before, so it really helped to give a lot of opportunity to local folks.”

BUMP has put up more than 60 murals around the city so far in 2021, with 11 of them in the downtown core.

 

“The enjoyment people get out of going on mural tours and seeing the murals for the first time, watching their faces light up is really rewarding,” says Bruneau.

“As art lovers, it’s really cool to be able to put up art on the largest scale that a city can really see.”

Astro has painted murals in several countries, including France, the United States, England, Italy, Germany, and Portugal.

While he wasn’t able to spend much time touring the city during his short trip to Calgary, Astro hopes to return to Canada sooner than later and has his sights set on heading to Toronto next.