The head of a Gombey troupe points the way to the historic Gombey Avenue in a stunning new mural.

Bilal Binns, the captain of Gombey Evolution, said he was “honoured” to have been featured in the nearly 30ft-tall painting that graces Angle Street in Pembroke.

“It’s not actually me,” Mr Binns admitted, “but it’s something that represents me.

“To have that — I’m flattered and I’m very, very grateful for this.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so I have put in countless hours and years of pure dedication, of getting not just myself ready, but my group ready.

“To see something that represents you, it’s a proud moment.”

The mural was created by Richard Brasil, known professionally as Hiero, and is one of several paintings around Hamilton.

The art installation was part of the second Bermuda Walls Mural Festival, which took place this month and featured dozens of local and international artists.

The festival was organised by Butterfield & Vallis and the production company Burnt House Productions.

Mr Binns said he had been contacted by Nhuri Bashir, the cofounder of Burnt House Productions and Mr Binns’s cousin, and was asked to model for a mural.

He said he made multiple poses and movements for Hiero, who settled on a side profile of Mr Binns pointing directly ahead.

He said the placement was ironic because it had him pointing down to Gombey Avenue, which many troupes dance through to get to Court Street from Angle Street.

Mr Binns admitted that he had “zero idea” how the mural would turn out as he was posing.

He added that he was worried some inconsistencies in his mask’s paint could make the finished product look awry.

However, when Mr Binns saw the mural, he said that the only way he could describe it was “perfection”.

"Looking at it now, it’s perfect,“ Mr Binns added. “It’s so accurate. This guy made everything pinpoint.

“Even the lines along the mask and the designs that I put on here are accurate.”

Mr Binns pointed out that the artist captured several other small details, including the braiding on his suit and the mismatched paint, all with spray paint.

He added: “It looks good in the picture, but it looks even better in person.

“Normally you see a picture and it looks very nice, but sometimes when you see paintings in person, it’s not as good.

“But in this case it’s amazing.”

Mr Binns said that some members of his troupe had recognised the mask and congratulated him for the mural.

He said that he was happy the suit was recognised because of all the work that went into it.

Mr Binns added that it was important that the detail that went into the regalia was put on display as Gombeys took deep pride in their suits.

He said: “It’s not just about us going out and dancing in the street — we want to be represented and look good when we are out there.

“It’s nice to have a good look, just like it’s nice to have good dancers and have a good reputation.”

Mr Binns said that he hoped the captains of other Gombey troupes could be put on a wall somewhere in Bermuda.

He thanked Mr Bashir and others who were involved in the mural festival, as well as Hiero for his work.

Mr Binns also honoured his mother, Dolores Binns, who helped to create his featured suit, as well as Kyle “Stylez” Robinson, who created his Gombey hat.