Graffiti artist’s dragon mural breathes new life on to city building

Frenchman delves into Dundee legends for inspiration

A graffiti artist has created a huge mural depicting a local legend after vandals ruined one of his most popular creations.

Paco Graff’s original work on the side of Abertay University’s student accommodation building on Lyon Street, celebrating the city’s journalistic heritage, had been in place for six years.

However when vandals ruined the mural, the French-born graffiti artist – whose real name is Ian Tayac – was tasked with coming up with a fresh creation which celebrates the City of Discovery.

The answer was a mural largely inspired by a local legend dating back to between the seventh and ninth centuries – the Nine Maidens and the Dragon.

According to local legend a giant serpent was responsible for slaying the nine beautiful daughters of a Pitempton farmer, each of whom had visited a local well one-by-one to fetch water for their thirsty father.

Enraged locals rose up to slay the dragon, led by the brave Martin – the lover of one of the maidens.

He is said to have killed the beast while locals chanted “Strike, Martin” – which many believe to the origins of the place name Strathmartine.

Mr Tayac’s mural of the mythical creature was partly inspired by the eyegrabbing statue of the dragon in Dundee’s High Street. His new work also depicts the V&A, the RRS Discovery and the Law.

He said: “I painted a printing press, it was a journalism-themed wall, but unfortunately it had been a bit worn off and vandalised so they asked me to come back and paint something fresh over the top of it.

“Still, they wanted something Dundee-themed. I heard of a story of the ‘Dundee Dragon and the Nine Maidens’. There is a statue of a dragon in town that I looked at and got a bit inspired to do this one.

“It’s nice to have something fresh and something new. I’m pretty chuffed with this one.”

Mr Tayac plied his trade on the streets of France before moving to Scotland and has graffiti work across the UK.

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There is a statue of a dragon in town that I looked at and got a bit inspired to do this one. PACO GRAFF

Paco Graff’s mural taking shape on the Lyon Street building after his first work was vandalised.