Sheffield Mural Artist Defends 'Unfinished' Ronnie O'Sullivan Portrait After Viral Backlash
Spot On Snooker Club Commission Sparks Online Debate
A large-scale mural of seven-time World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has attracted significant online attention — not all of it favourable — after images of the work-in-progress circulated widely on social media. Commissioned for the rear exterior wall of the Spot On Snooker Club on Langsett Road, Sheffield, the piece was created by local street artist Chris Ashmore, who has since moved to address the criticism directly, insisting the portrait is far from complete.
Ashmore was allocated five weeks to deliver the project. At the point the images began circulating, he had completed only two of those weeks. Residents and social media users described the likeness in unflattering terms — among the words used were "zombie-like", "skeletal" and "shocking" — with some suggesting the figure bore more resemblance to Michael Jackson than to the Rocket. Frank Short, who lives near the club, offered a measured assessment: "The artwork is ok but the eyes are all wrong. It looks like he's taken something." Shaun Spalding was more direct, stating that the eyes, teeth and overall facial structure failed to capture O'Sullivan's appearance.
Scaffolding Restricted Artist's Perspective
Ashmore has offered a clear technical explanation for the issues identified so far. Working from a fixed scaffolding platform rather than his preferred scissor lift — which could not be deployed due to uneven ground at the site — he was unable to step back and assess the work from a full viewing distance during the painting process. "I usually use a scissor lift, where you can stand back and see things as a whole, but I couldn't use it as the land is too uneven," he said. "When the scaffolding came down, I came away and boom — it's gone viral."
The practical constraint is a well-documented challenge in large-format mural work. Proportional accuracy at scale is notoriously difficult to judge from close quarters, and even experienced muralists rely heavily on the ability to periodically view their work from distance. Ashmore confirmed he had always planned to use a cherry picker to complete the finishing stages, including skin tone corrections and detail work around the face — the very areas drawing the most criticism.
Club Management Back the Artist
Dan Kirkland, manager of Spot On Snooker Club, has been supportive of Ashmore throughout the controversy. Kirkland acknowledged that certain areas of the face — particularly around the eyes and mouth — require adjustment, but expressed confidence that targeted changes would significantly improve the final result. He also used the platform to push back against commentary that crossed the line from art criticism into personal attacks on Ashmore himself. "People are absolutely entitled to like or dislike a mural," Kirkland said. "But having an opinion about a piece of artwork is one thing. Slagging off the person who created it is another."
Not all local reaction has been negative. Gillian Jones said the mural brightened her day, while Glen Bridock, who described himself as "a fan of the Rocket", called the design "brilliant". The mixed reception reflects the divided response that large-scale public art frequently generates, particularly when the subject is a figure as recognisable as O'Sullivan.
The Subject: A Seven-Time World Champion
The choice of O'Sullivan as the mural's subject is straightforward to contextualise. Now 50 years old, O'Sullivan remains the most decorated player in the history of the World Snooker Championship. His seven Crucible titles — achieved in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2022 and 2023 — place him one ahead of Stephen Hendry's previous record of six. According to data from CueTracker, O'Sullivan has compiled more than 1,100 career century breaks, a total that exceeds any other professional in the sport's history by a substantial margin. His association with the game is such that a snooker club seeking a single image to define their brand could hardly look further.
Ashmore, for his part, is refusing to be rushed into completing the work on anyone else's timeline. "It's not finished, there's bits of skin tone to do and I'll finish it off as and when I can," he said. "I'm not just going to rush it in three days because people have complained online." The artist added that he has "thick skin" when it comes to criticism of the work itself, though he found the personal commentary directed at him less easy to dismiss as fair. With additional access to be arranged by the club and a cherry picker yet to be deployed, the finished mural may look markedly different from the images currently generating debate. Sheffield — and snooker fans more broadly — will have to wait and see.
