Vegas spray day

Belfast street artist turns US mansion into a Christmas graffiti wonderland

WHEN Dean Kane received a message on Instagram inviting him to spray paint a multi-million dollar mansion in Las Vegas, he thought it was a joke.

But it turned out to be the opportunity of a lifetime to turn a party planner’s home into “the most Vegas Christmas ever”.

Dad-of-two Dean, who is the man behind Visual Waste, was flown to Sin City in December to work with artists from around the world to transform the mansion in time for the festive season.

The 33-year-old said: “I was sitting in the house one evening and I got a message on Instagram. This guy was talking about wanting to do a project in Vegas with me.

“I looked into it and it turned out he had done it before in October and wanted to do it again.”

Within days of receiving the message from millionaire party planner Armani, Dean was booked on a flight to the US and spent a week transforming the mansion with artists from

America, Canada and Mexico.

He said: “It was surreal. Everyone there was a bit crazy but that’s what you get with a bunch of artists from all over.

“I rolled up to the mansion and there were a bunch of guys out front and a Lamborghini covered in graffiti. I just thought, ‘What is going on?’”

Dean spent the next week working long days to complete the project.

On his first night he was painting away when a neighbour dropped by who turned out to be the frontman of American rock band Imagine Dragons.

Dean said: “The guy Armani is a crazy dude, he owns the place and was the guy who organised it. When I first met him he seemed like this larger-than-life character, really loud and in your face but he is very business orientated and has his head screwed on.” The group of artists were asked to paint the front of the house facing neighbours with nice Christmas images from the likes of Ice Age, but the back was the naughty side of Christmas with the Grinch and misbehaving Santa.

The creation has already been painted over and the mansion is a blank canvas while Armani thinks up his new theme.

Dean said: “I heard he is already talking about doing the next one. He said he wanted to do one a month.”

Dean posing beside Lamborghini Nice side of Xmas at front of house The ‘dark side’ of Christmas depicted at the rear of mansion in Las Vegas Belfast street artist Dean Kane FUN HOUSE TALENTED 11k The number of Instagram followers Visual Waster has...