Malmö’s Murals: Street Art in South Sweden

If you dip into my archive, you’ll find I’ve written quite a lot about street art in various cities around the world. Most of them you’ll already know about though. Every mother and her son who goes to Berlin has written about it, and the same goes for London, Lisbon and Reykjavik.

But what about Malmö, Sweden’s 3rd largest city?

Well, there’s street art there too!

While it can’t be compared to the aforementioned cities in terms of quantity, it can in quality.

Most of the murals that can be found in Malmö were created for the Art Scape Festival, an annual street art festival that began in 2014.

Each year a new place is chosen to hold the festival and artists from around the world are invited to use the cityscape as their canvas. Since 2014 the festival has also been held in cities such as Gothenburg, Varmland, and in 2021 it was finally held in Malmö.

Below I’ve put together a list of the best mural that can be found in Malmö. And in the spirit of surprises, hopefully you will find even more!

The Troll by Smug One

Located in Holma, a suburb of Malmö, lies this fantastic 8-storey high Troll by Australian street artist Smug One. The artist is well known for his dynamic and often photo-realistic portraits which can be found all over the world.

Now based in Glasgow he uses his adopted city as a blank canvas for much of his work. Recently, I was fortunate to visit Scotland’s second largest city where I enjoyed seeing more of his work up-close and personal. I’ve written up a separate post about street art in Glasgow if you’re interested to know and see more.

Last Embrace Before Departure by D*Face

Nearby the Troll is this pop-art mural by London-based street artist, D*Face. It really reminds me of some of the comic book murals that can be found all over Brussels. They are fun, nostalgic and full of storytelling adventures.

D*Face uses the term “aPOPcalyptic” to define his work. It’s a blend of ‘pop art’ spliced with the fragility of life, and the use of popular culture as a theme.

Stairs and Ropes by Phlegm

You can tell UK-born Phlegm’s work from a mile off. His style is so distinct: highly-detailed black and white whimsical creatures. Maybe it’s just me, but I find them a little creepy too. This particular work located on Stenhuggaregaten is no different.

I love how he has incorporated the building’s layout into this piece. The creatures crawling under the windows and moving up its tall, narrow structure brings alive this otherwise ordinary building.

As showcased in this piece, his work often has a storybook like quality yet feels rather unsettling. Personally, I think this piece appears to depict alien-like figures carrying out a well-orchestrated burglary.

The artist’s pseudonym – Phlegm – seems to reveal something in the work. The four temperaments found in ancient Greek medicine are: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Phlegm was believed to be responsible for an apathetic and unemotional temperament.

Magic Book by Natalia Rak

Located in the western side of the Old Town (Gamla Väster) is this fantasy inspired mural by Polish artist Natalia Rake. It’s bright, striking and captures the imagination.

It depicts a girl opening up a book with octopus tentacles emerging from the pages. The meaning is clear: the power that reading has on our imagination. As they say, imagination is limitless!

Mural by Ola Kalnins

Directly next to Natalia Rak’s mural you’ll find this brightly painted number by Malmö-born street artist Ola Kalnins. It’s much more abstract then other murals and this makes it stand out from the rest.

I recently read an interview with him which I’d like to highlight. Here’s an extract:

“I’ve always thought public art is extremely important, but more so today than ever. We are constantly surrounded by advertisements, and it is as if the public doesn’t own the public space. It’s great to have art in your apartment or home, but it is not something that should only be enjoyed by the elite. Having art and culture in the public makes it something we consciously or subconsciously share. People need to feel a connection to our public space in order to give our society a soul. The biggest benefit of public art is that it brings a city to life, and brings people together.”

– Ola Kalnins

You can read the full interview here.

Mural by Stinkfish

This explosion of colour is located in the hipster part of town so it’s worth venturing to this area simply for the vibes alone. Here, you’ll find cool bars, cafes, shops and a park that’s popular with skaters.

There’s a somewhat amusing story attached to the mural. Prior to this work, Stinkfish had created another mural with a similar aesthetic in Malmö whilst partaking in Art Scape. However, after only a few days of completion, it was removed by a cleaning company who mistook it for careless graffiti. Annoying!

I’m glad this somewhat amusing (and I’m sure frustrating) incident didn’t deter him from creating another as this one is fantastic.

Read more → Discover the best things to do in Malmö.

Where to stay in Malmö

There are quite a few good hotels in Malmö , but I think Master Johan Hotel (MJ’s) offers the best experience for your money. Great location, relaxing atmosphere, emphasis on comfort, and a stellar buffet breakfast to kick start your day.

Have you seen these wall murals in Malmö?