Doug’s annual roundup is always essential viewing. It goes well beyond the usual mural compilations, weaving between illegal interventions, political actions, and the genuinely absurd.

From Triple’s decade-long project recreating every piece in the legendary Subway Art book, to a Russian artist painting his child’s drawings on trains, to Octavia Sarah covering a Barcelona sign in fridge magnets as a jab at overtourism.

There’s thoughtful commentary on the tension in street art right now. The polished festival circuit versus the messy, chaotic, unpredictable work that still matters. And a sobering note on how hard it is to make a living doing any of this.

The line that stuck with me most was, “The walls don’t need to scream at you. They can just kind of exhale.” I feel we could all do with experiencing that.

Bring on 2026. The Nuart Aberdeen street art festival is back in April so I’ll be all over that.