I am behind some of Glasgow's biggest murals, now I am doing a first

Glasgow Times

5 days ago

Smug, whose real name is Sam Bates, is accustomed to creating large pieces on the gable ends of buildings throughout the city.
He's the artist behind some of the city's most recognisable artworks, such as the now-famous St Mungo mural on High Street.
Smug, 42, explained: "You can't get your nose millimetres from the paint to see all the small details six storeys in the air, but you can in here."
He sits proudly in Grateful Gallery in Garnethill, where eight framed works of his are hanging in his first solo art exhibit in the city.
Sam Bates, known as Smug, outside Grateful Gallery (Image: Gordon Terris)
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The show titled Dead Grateful explores the 'intersection of religion and mortality, uniting the visceral image of skeletal remains with the transcendence of faith'.
Smug said: "I just like to sort of juxtapose... the core of the human being being the skeleton with the spirituality of these different monks and try and give them life.
"People have this view of skeletons as being morbid and death, and I've never seen it like that.
"Even though a skeleton is technically a dead thing, I think you can portray them in a way that gives them life. And I think some of these look alive..."
"Skeletons, they're always smiling, you know? I don't think it needs to be this morbid and dark view of them. I think it can be fun. And skeletons are just cool."
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He painted the artworks, which show various monks and religious acolytes as skeletal figures, around two or three years ago.
Smug said: "The idea was of presenting a series of paintings incorporating themes of religion, death, and spirituality.
"I've included broadly three different monk themes: the Christian monks, the warrior monks like the Shaolin and the Sohei, and the Buddhist and Tibetan monks as well."
The work focuses on the Australian-born artist's fascination with bones, skeletons and all things unseen about anatomy.
He explained: "I've always been fascinated with skulls and bones and like anatomy and not like a gory, gross, psychopathic way... It's just fascinating because it's a part of the body that we never see.
"It's an anatomical thing for me, and I've always been fascinated.
"I grew up on a farm, so we get a lot of animal sort of remains lying around, and I would always collect them, and my family would think I'm a bit weird."
Glasgow mural artist Smug puts on first free gallery show (Image: Newsquest/Gordon Terris)
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Smug added: "It's fascinating seeing the areas of a skull or bones where the nerve sort of travels through or where the tendons are attached, and then where the muscles sit. It's just interesting to me."
"Every skeleton, unless you're an expert, generally looks the same.
"They're raceless, they're genderless, because we're all kind of the same, you know, and kind of like that. I think it adds a bit of romance to them."
Smug settled in Scotland in the early 2000s and has since cemented himself as Glasgow's mural master.
He explained that he's always felt an affinity with the city: "I'm from a small town south of Sydney.
"I'm from a really working-class, rough little town. So I acclimatised here really quickly.
"The Scottish humour, especially Glaswegian humour, is really similar to the Australian sense of humour that I have, that dry, satirical wit.
"So, it did feel like home."
Smug's been working on a huge new mural in the city centre (Image: Supplied)
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He credits the move to Scotland with giving him opportunities, saying he was "already addicted to painting" when he moved here, but the paid work and support here is something that he's "unsure he would have got in Australia."
Smug recognises the importance of his work's impact on the city skyline, but is always "blown away" by the reaction he gets.
He said: "It's weird because I would never anticipate that it would be as celebrated as much as it is. And for me, I was just painting, it's what I do."
One of the pieces, titled 'Faith', is being auctioned off, with half of the funds going to Calton Athletic Recovery Group, which they describe as 'an immensely significant Glasgow charity helping people with drug and alcohol addiction through their unique approach to abstinence and recovery.'
One of Smug's most famous mural of St Mungo on High Street (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
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Grateful Gallery was founded in June 2025 by Glasgow artists OhPandah, Conzo and Ciaran Globel.
They said: "We have all known Smug for years, he's one of the best in the world, so it's a massive honour to show his work in the gallery.
"This is our first ever solo show, so it's incredible to show such awe-inspiring work by an artist who's at the top of his game and globally recognised within our culture.
"We really appreciate Smug showing with us so early on in our journey, and we hope to have him back in the future along with so many other artists who have inspired us over the years."
The show is open now until August 3, and is free to attend. Grateful Gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday.