About

Chris Rutterford is one of the UK’s top mural artists and visionaries.

The scale of Chris’s projects are ambitious, pioneering and multidisciplinary.
He has a unique touching way of telling stories by illustrating and building safe spaces that make people feel nurtured, providing a sense of collective optimism with the focus on importance of the community and belonging.

Over the last decade his work has been the key in the spectacular transformation in a host of spaces. Most of his customers report a dramatic upturn in fortune as a direct result of the murals.

Developing new unique approaches in mural design and construction opened whole new avenues for him to increase society involvement, both emotionally and physically.

He builds spaces that people love and revisit time and time again.

His work has a weight, solidity and integrity that just feels right.

In the last decade he has produced a series of high profile quality murals generally based around Scottish subject matter, including Tam O’ Shanter, Hogmanay, Battle of Bannockburn and a football crowd at Ibrox amongst others.

His most recent project is The Colinton Tunnel in Edinburgh, which has been an instant sensation. He transformed a Victorian, dilapidated train tunnel in the suburbs of Edinburgh into Scotland’s largest mural with a 140m illustrated Robert Louis Stevenson poem. It is the latest tourist attraction on the Edinburgh map and has become an instant draw, heralded for its unique inclusive approach to mural construction.
He led and designed the project, produced key feature artwork and built a coherent environment in the tunnel involving and empowering 500 children and two street artists in the transformation.
Chris managed, led and enacted all aspects of the construction.

The vibrant series of artwork he has produced over the course of the past decade have become must see destinations, oasis of optimism and joy that have breathed fresh life into areas and establishments.


Adventures in real time

@chris_rutterford next to his #lionman #artwork upstairs at #brewhemiaedinburgh #pakomeraphotography #victorianfashion #cigar #whisky #adventures @animals #system3 ...

118 4

https://youtu.be/o6G5nC8Uins

Fantastic news piece by @stvlauraa from tonight’s news ...#tunnel #adventures
...

78 2

@stv.news filmed in the tunnel looking forward to seeing the article @stvlauraa has come up with . She’s supported the project all along! @kira_the_machine also came along to talk about her special part in the tunnel. #adventures ...

89 4

@chris_rutterford posing next to his doppelgänger the troll on the magical train #tunnel #artwork #adventures #system3 ...

133 6

We painted a #celtic #celticknot #foliage #background as a #backdrop for the #motorbike photo op in the #reception @thebankofdalkeith #motorcycle @lubilykan #celticknotwork #treeoflife #adventures ...

54 3

Hard at work on the New tree of life mural - a collaboration with @lubilykan for the lobby of @thebankofdalkeith #adventures #projects ...

59 3

A new beetroot mandala - ready for installation at the heart of a new mural in @beetrootsauvage at the start of next week #commercial #adventures ...

45 2

Rona our tunnel dog was pretty relaxed on the job last week #dogsofinstagram #colintontunnel #tunnel #adventures ...

59 4

The girls hard at work painting the mural #adventures #tunnel ...

43 0

New wings made for the tunnel by @chris_rutterford modelled by his dog Rona - looking forward to getting them up after lockdown ! #adventures #tunnel ...

82 3

@chris_rutterford Hanging the #robertlouisstevenson portrait #colintontunnel #colintontunnelproject #scottishart #colintontunnelmural photo by @cloustath #history #adventures #portraits #tunnel ...

54 2

@lubilykan @chris_rutterford Rona tunnel dog meets her adoring public #dogsofinstagram #colintontunnel #colintontunnelproject #colintontunneproject @dogvalleyrescuecenter1 #adventures ...

29 1

A couple of hard drinking Leonbergers- painted live @brewhemiaedin for the occasion of Rachel Nadel wedding #chrisrutterford #scottishart #rutterfordart #tophatdogs #leonberger #live #adventures ...

14 2

Painting from Rachel and Dallas Young fabulous wedding - a live painting event then finished in the studio @dundascastle #chrisrutterford @weddingideas #weddingart #scottishart #scotland #portraits #adventures ...

40 7

Our dog Rona insists on wearing a tiara to the park ... high maintainance puppy🙄 #dogsofinstagram #dogsoninstagram #queen #dogs #chrisrutterford #lubilykan #dogvalleyrescuecenter #adventures ...

34 1

Lubi is my technician for the week #system3 #chrisrutterford #colinton #colintonvillage @lubilykanboxingshorts @lubilykan 😍#adventures #tunnel ...

13 0

Work has begun prepping up the Spylaw tunnel for a monster mural I’m making over the course of the next year-this is me with Kenny #colinton #spylawpark #chrisrutterford #megamurals #muralist #system3 #dalerrowney #adventures #tunnel ...

42 1

Harry next to his character in Tam O Shanter #chrisrutterford #scottishart #tamoshanter #robertburns #adventures ...

22 1

Another of Paco Mera portraits of me in my work togs #history #adventures ...

22 1

#pakomeraphotography took some lovely portraits of me the other day this is my favourite #unicorn #chrisrutterford #history #adventures ...

24 2

The king has a fondest for roast chipmunk #alltogethernow #chrisrutterford ##robertthebruce #adventures ...

8 0

The #københavn #mural fully underway in #customlane at #customhouseleith. #leith #Edinburgh #leithcustomhouse #spray #spraywork #maritime #maritimehistory #kobenhavn #shbt #chrisrutterford #landscapes #projects #adventures ...

48 0

Can you tell what it is yet? #mural #leithcustomhouse #customhouseleith #spray #spraywork #leith #maritime #maritimehistory #shbt #Edinburgh #kobenhavn #københavn #live #adventures ...

25 1

Playing in the 2017 New Years Day Ba in Kirkwall, Orkney. #orkneyba #bagame #kirkwallba #ba2017 #orkney #orkneyislands #uppiesvsdoonies Photo by @sheilamasson #adventures ...

38 3

Working on my latest #mural at A Room In The West End in #edinburgh. #muralist #chrisrutterford #restaurant #westend #adventures ...

31 0

Painting a coo - as you do. #notjustmurals #cow #coo #chrisrutterford #tartan #leith #leithcustomhouse #edinburgh #scotland Photo by @sheilamasson #adventures ...

37 0

Working in the Grassmarket with ADP Riot Tour #adpriottour #mural #muralist #chrisrutterford #chrisrutterfordmural #edinburgh #grassmarket #livepainting #publicart Photo by @sheilamasson #live # #adventures ...

54 2

Me with Mr Haggis #mcsweens#scottish food#edinburgh #holyrood park#Chris Rutterford #tartan army #Scotland #scottish men #adventures ...

20 2

At the Tron market front door #unicorn #scottish #tophat #Tron #chris rutterford#artist #adventures ...

11 0