A recently unveiled 30-foot-tall mural of snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan has drawn significant online criticism, with many fans describing the artwork as "terrifying" and "zombie-like." The mural, located on the side of the Spot On Snooker and Pool Club in Sheffield, was commissioned by club owner Dan Kirkland and created by artist Chris Ashmore.
Social media users have dubbed the depiction "Monkey O'Sullivan" due to the perceived resemblance of the seven-time world champion's facial features to a primate. Comments circulating online include observations like "Didn't know zombie snooker was a thing" and "That's absolutely horrendous, just looks like the corpse of Ronnie O'Sullivan."
Despite the public reaction, Ashmore, the artist, insists the work is not yet finished and will look different upon completion. Kirkland, the club owner, expressed his fondness for the mural, calling it "unique" and a "talking point." He noted that Ashmore has previously created other artworks for the club, including depictions of the Crucible Theatre, John Lennon, Bullseye, and Freddie Mercury.
"We think some of the online comments are hilarious but we must stress that the artwork is not quite finished so it will look a little different by the time it is all done," Kirkland stated. "We love the painting so far, it's unique and is a talking point but then all good art should provoke discussion."
The controversy surrounding the mural coincides with O'Sullivan's withdrawal from the British Open for the fourth consecutive year. The World Snooker Tour cited medical reasons for his absence from the event in Cheltenham. This withdrawal follows O'Sullivan's 6-3 loss to Chang Bingyu at the Wuhan Open. Mark Joyce has been confirmed as O'Sullivan's replacement for a match against Mateusz Baranowski at the upcoming tournament.