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Mural removed from Grand Central Station after unveiling postponed

Hayley Halpin and Laura Trueman
BBC News NI
Dillion Osborne / BBC To the left is an image of a black banner with a large pink question mark on it hanging from a ceiling. To the right is an image of the same space without the question mark. Dillion Osborne / BBC
The question mark banner has been removed from Grand Central Station

A mural of a local celebrity, which had been due to be unveiled at Belfast's Grand Central Station, has been removed.

The painting, thought by sources to be the musician Van Morrison, remained covered at the station for a month after its installation.

Artist Johnny Hamilton was commissioned to create the portrait, but its unveiling had been postponed indefinitely last week.

Translink, which operates the station, and the company representing the celebrity have been contacted by BBC News NI regarding the latest development.

Following the confirmation last week that the project was being delayed, Exile Productions, who it's believed commissioned the mural, did not provide a response after being contacted by the BBC.

Translink said last week that it only facilitated the space and further questions should be directed to the artist and company that commissioned the work.

Speaking to BBC News NI on Friday, Mr Hamilton said: "It's disappointing because when you're approached by a company to do a collaboration with them you do your part and you expect them to do their part."

Dillon Osborne A large black banner with a pink question mark hangs in front of large windoes. Around it are metal support beams. Dillon Osborne
The mural remained covered weeks after its installation

The painting had been positioned at the front doors over the glass frontage at the station but was covered by a large pink question mark painted onto a black background.

The whole thing has now been removed completely.

Writing on his website last week, Mr Hamilton, who works under the alias Jossiepops said: "This is not only disappointing, it's humiliating."

The BBC had been in contact with the artist with a plan to film the unveiling of the 5m x 2m portrait last month.

Mr Hamilton had been teasing followers on social media about who he might be painting.

The inside of Grand Central station. You can see ticket machines in front large glass windows that go from floor to ceiling. Hanging in the middle of one set of windows is the painting, covered in black with a pink question mark.
The artwork hung near an entrance to Grand Central Station

The painting itself took two months of preparation, involved more than 15 tins of paint and was altered twice from its original design.

Everything was filmed; from the actual painting, to its framing and then installation in Belfast's Grand Central Station.

The painting itself took six people to move comfortably due to its scale.

Mr Hamilton said part of his brief was that the piece had to be movable and Translink agreed to facilitate it.

But then he was told that the unveiling, set for the early hours of 10 June, was not going ahead.

Dillon Osborne The back of a man with shoulder length black hair, wearing a black top and a black baseball hat, worn backwards with pink writing saying Jossiepops on it. He appears to be looking a painting, covered in a black covering with a pink question mark on it.Dillon Osborne
Johnny Hamilton, who works under the alias Jossiepops, had more than 200,000 views on social media posts teasing followers about who he might be painting.

Mr Hamilton has been unable to disclose the identity of the celebrity behind the question mark due to a non-disclosure agreement.