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Glasgow Times
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
I am behind some of Glasgow's biggest murals, now I am doing a first
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) READ MORE: HUGE new mural being painted in Glasgow city centre by well-known artist 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." READ MORE: Artist behind Billy Connolly mural's mission to get artwork to iconic comedian 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) READ MORE: New mural appears by iconic artist in area that feels 'like Spain or Italy' 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) READ MORE: Government intervene in Glasgow O2 ABC site plans over risk to Art School 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) READ MORE: Glasgow residents 'vindicated' as council make this move over drug problem 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.
Glasgow Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow artist's mission to send Billy Connolly mural copy
Not in the flesh, but on the boards on which the artist, Conzo Throb, painted the mural of the legendary comedian in the city centre earlier this year. The boards have been reunited with him, and he plans to give them a new home, he's also set himself the mission of getting a copy of the artwork to The Big Yin. Conzo put together a heartfelt personal package with a handwritten letter and a copy of the artwork and has sent it to Billy in safe hands. Glasgow artist's mission to send Billy Connolly mural copy (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: Amazing new mural of Billy Connolly appeared in Glasgow He spoke to us about the inspiration behind the mural, which he says has "changed his life." Conzo, 37, explained: "It was two funny men that started this fire in me to make this. Billy Connolly, obviously, and the late great John Byrne. "I've had this idea for years of painting Billy Connolly naked specifically, because I was dared to by my flatmate and friend, Panda, to paint a mural next to a big Billy Connolly mural that already exists, and it didn't feel right at the time. "A great wall appeared outside where Dishoom is going to be on Nelson Mandela Square, and it triggered the idea that the time was right to paint this mural of Billy's bare a**e huge on a big 18ft by 16ft canvas." Conzo says the mural has changed his life (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: New mural of Still Game star appears in Glasgow city centre He goes on to credit Billy's book, Windswept and Interesting, for helping him get through a "really tough time" in the past few years, and how learning about the comic's life let him "give himself the permission slip" to follow his dreams. Conzo also took ideas for the mural from the book, he said: "In Billy's book, in the very first chapter, he talks about his love of being naked, the absolute freedom of it, and I figured that's just a beautiful thing to have painted. "A very funny one as well, and to paint it without permission makes it even funnier, and to get away with it and even have people tell you that they loved it and cheered them up was an unexpected but definitely pleasant surprise." Conzo had help from friends and fellow artists Ciaran Globel and Panda, with whom he recently opened their art gallery, Grateful Gallery, in Garnethill. He took some inspiration after the idea had formed from John Byrne's 2002 painting of Billy that hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Conzo said: "In the very left corner was a very small painting of Billy streaking naked, and I just thought it was hilarious because I had a core childhood memory of Billy being naked on the TV, and so do a lot of people." John Byrne was born in Paisley and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1958 to 1963. He worked as an artist, playwright and theatre designer. Conzo mixed up a special shade of pink for the mural (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: PICTURES: Decorated cabs flock to Troon as part of annual Taxi Outing Conzo made 50 screenprints of the mural, with the very first one being put in the package that's been sent to Billy. Speaking about the special package he's sent to Billy, Conzo said: "When he opens the tube, he'll get this beautiful big newspaper with the front page of his bum that made it the next day. "So, hopefully it's going to bring him a big laugh. That's what I'm hoping for. "First thing, he's sipping his morning tea, and then he just gets this beautiful package of just a good self-portrait of him being naked and just gets a big laugh. "That's the ultimate goal." Conzo sent a package including a personal letter to Billy (Image: Supplied) READ MORE: 'I'll crawl across the line if I have to': Dad to run 95 miles in memory of son Conzo continued: "And yeah, I wrote him a nice little personal letter just appreciation and telling him why I did this as well as about how he and his best pal John Burn totally inspired me and helped change my life route completely over the past three years." "He's helped many people, but it really helped me just give myself a permission slip to chase this whole dream of being an artist and not feeling bad about it or having to ask others if I'm allowed to do certain things. "So, it's just a big ode to these legends. It's like a two-in-one. It really is." Conzo has big plans for the mural boards (Image: Colin Mearns) READ MORE: 'Goodbye for now': Popular West End pub announces temporary closure Now that he's been reunited with them, Conzo hopes to have the boards displayed in public again or auctioned off for charity. The People's Palace is his ultimate goal, for the work to be displayed in the same place as Billy's big banana boots. Conzo's favourite part of the mural is the nipple ring, he explained: "In his book Windswept and Interesting, he talks about how he got his nipples pierced just for fun. "And when he did a movie, he had to take them out for a swimming scene. And throughout this movie, filming in the ocean, his wounds healed up, so he could no longer have his nipples pierced. "I just love that story. It's just funny, it's a nice little detail, it's the tiniest part of the whole mural, and it's a little sparkling, beautiful thing."
