zubairsarim (@zubairsarim) • Hey
zubairsarim (@zubairsarim) • Hey
Publications
- **Following the decriminalisation of street art in 2009**
Following the decriminalisation of street art in 2009, local artists have changed the literal face of [Rio de Janeiro](https://www.intrepidtravel.com/argentina/best-brazil-109981), taking the city’s grey urban sprawl and injecting colour and life. Bold and ubiquitous, it covers walls and buildings throughout the city, with no neighbourhood immune – from the favelas to high-scale apartments, the result has been remarkable.
**Best street art spots:** Everywhere. To really get a sense of the street art scene in Rio (and because of safety concerns in some neighbourhoods), those with a real interest should take a tour.
Following the decriminalisation of street art in 2009, local artists have changed the literal face of [Rio de Janeiro](https://www.intrepidtravel.com/argentina/best-brazil-109981), taking the city’s grey urban sprawl and injecting colour and life. Bold and ubiquitous, it covers walls and buildings throughout the city, with no neighbourhood immune – from the favelas to high-scale apartments, the result has been remarkable.
**Best street art spots:** Everywhere. To really get a sense of the street art scene in Rio (and because of safety concerns in some neighbourhoods), those with a real interest should take a tour.
- **From large-scale murals to little hidden-away pieces**
Colourful and chaotic,[ Valparaiso](https://www.intrepidtravel.com/chile/best-chile-109614) is a home for artists and a city where street art is so interwoven into its structural fabric, it would be impossible to separate the two.
From large-scale murals to little hidden-away pieces, graffiti plays a large part in making sections of the city so colourful and enticing – a wonderfully non-permanent and free art gallery that is added to every day.
**Best street art spots:** Either join a street art tour or grab a free city map and follow the route for the Museo a Cielo Abierto, a well-established circuit which brings you to the work of several notable artists.
- **Bogota is a city teeming with street art.**
From the murals that line the highways, to large-scale pieces that transform otherwise slightly grimy barrios into living, breathing art exhibits, Bogota is a city teeming with street art.
Yet, were it not for the police’s fatal shooting of a teenage artist in 2011, and the ensuing protests, things may have been very different. Instead, street art was largely decriminalised, and elaborate murals have been allowed to flourish across the city.
**Best street art spots:** Calle 26 or the backpackers’ neighbourhood of La Candeleria. Many pieces can be found independently, but to really gain an insight, consider taking a street art tour.
- **Where to find the best street art in South America**
**For those that have spent even a small amount of time in [South America](https://www.intrepidtravel.com/south-america), there will always be certain details that stay with them. The ever-present soundtrack, be it from bars, market stalls, processions, or, most commonly, a dodgy mobile phone speaker. The veritable selection of street dogs all vying for your attention, or the last bite of your empanada, and colour – colour literally everywhere. Rainbow costumes and national flags, the bright red of Coca-Cola signs and local beer companies and the kaleidoscopic hues of colourful walls that can be found in almost every town and city. It seems fitting then, that artists from across the world look to South America as the perfect canvas for their work, and why this varied continent is home to so much exceptional street art.**
- **URBAN STREET ART – D1 (4 PLACES AVAILABLE)**
Join this half-day walking tour to explore Saigon’s inner-city, locally flavoured urban art scene, tucked away in lesser known and visited neighbourhoods.
* Discover large scale wall art, wildlife education projects, & neighbourhood beautification murals.
* Learn about some of Saigon’s talented street artists.
* Visit a Five Elements Goddesses temple, decorated with a locally-inspired mural.
* Wander through colourful back streets & hẻms/laneways, with a chance to meet and greet some of the locals.
Our unique and original walking tours are small & personalised, created & curated by us to share our love of this vibrant, ever-evolving city with you.
- **The old Morocco and his offspring painted in the vicinity of Bab El Had.**
During his first participation in Sbagha Bagha, another popular Moroccan street art festival that takes place in Casablanca, he created a marvelous piece, which brought him the admiration of some of the biggest names in international street art.
His most important source of inspiration is the traditional Moroccan life mainly in his hometown Casablanca.During his first participation in Sbagha Bagha, another popular Moroccan street art festival that takes place in Casablanca, he created a marvelous piece, which brought him the admiration of some of the biggest names in international street art.
His most important source of inspiration is the traditional Moroccan life mainly in his hometown Casablanca.
- **It’s just fair that those frogs got all dressed up for Cisco**
He works in many different sectors – on canvas, digitally, and on skin, obviously. His favorite medium that grants him the most creative freedom, however, are walls that he decorates with fantastic murals.He works in many different sectors – on canvas, digitally, and on skin, obviously. His favorite medium that grants him the most creative freedom, however, are walls that he decorates with fantastic murals.He works in many different sectors – on canvas, digitally, and on skin, obviously. His favorite medium that grants him the most creative freedom, however, are walls that he decorates with fantastic murals.He works in many different sectors – on canvas, digitally, and on skin, obviously. His favorite medium that grants him the most creative freedom, however, are walls that he decorates with fantastic murals.
- **it is now a bit weathered**
With his motifs and techniques, INTI promotes Latin American street art around the world. You’ll find his pieces in Belgium, France, [Germany](https://byemyself.com/all-about-germany/), India, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, [Peru](https://byemyself.com/guide-peru/), Poland, Slovakia, [Spain](https://byemyself.com/spain-complete-travel-guide/), and – of course – Chile – to name just a few.
INTI likes to collaborate with other street artists under the name STGO Undercrew. This artist squad has worked for Adidas, the Rip Curl music festival, and the Maquinaria Festival in Chile.With his motifs and techniques, INTI promotes Latin American street art around the world. You’ll find his pieces in Belgium, France, [Germany](https://byemyself.com/all-about-germany/), India, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, [Peru](https://byemyself.com/guide-peru/), Poland, Slovakia, [Spain](https://byemyself.com/spain-complete-travel-guide/), and – of course – Chile – to name just a few.
INTI likes to collaborate with other street artists under the name STGO Undercrew. This artist squad has worked for Adidas, the Rip Curl music festival, and the Maquinaria Festival in Chile.
- **Particularly in comparison to the best street art in Hamburg**
While in many European cities, urban art is more about the message and sometimes lacks a bit of artistic talent, in Morocco, it’s exclusively about artistic value with no societal content whatsoever.While in many European cities, urban art is more about the message and sometimes lacks a bit of artistic talent, in Morocco, it’s exclusively about artistic value with no societal content whatsoever.While in many European cities, urban art is more about the message and sometimes lacks a bit of artistic talent, in Morocco, it’s exclusively about artistic value with no societal content whatsoever.
- **JIDAR Street Art Festival – How Rabat Celebrates International Urban Art**
Coming to one of Morocco’s imperial cities, you would probably expect a kasbah and a medina, mighty mosques, and colorful souks. But would you anticipate some of the most vibrant urban art scenes? Yet, every year, Morocco’s capital [Rabat](https://www.byemyself.com/rabat-two-days-capital-of-morocco) hosts a fantastic international street art festival called JIDAR. Then, artists from all over the world come to Rabat to leave their beautiful traces on the city’s façades.Coming to one of Morocco’s imperial cities, you would probably expect a kasbah and a medina, mighty mosques, and colorful souks. But would you anticipate some of the most vibrant urban art scenes? Yet, every year, Morocco’s capital [Rabat](https://www.byemyself.com/rabat-two-days-capital-of-morocco) hosts a fantastic international street art festival called JIDAR. Then, artists from all over the world come to Rabat to leave their beautiful traces on the city’s façades.
- **The artist Klawd in front of one of his murals in Lafayette**
When the Czech government had to remove the thick hedge that surrounded its embassy in Tunis out of security concerns, their diplomats turned to the city’s street artists to give their offices a contemporary edge. Elsewhere, everything from co-working spaces to fishing tackle shops look to the country’s street artists to help them stand out from the crowd.
Towering above other murals in the minds of many is Djerbahood, the giant installation put together in 2014 on the island of Djerba. There, artists from around the world travelled to the island to give the small, isolated village of Erriadh a new lease of life with a creation that, if now a little careworn, still draws visitors from across the region.
Many of Tunisia’s street artists no longer focus their anger on the police and the state, but protests do continue. In Tunis, StreetMan, who uses a figure inspired by traditional Tunisian wrought iron curls as a signature, questions everything from unemployment to irregular migration in his work.
- **A mural by the Brazilian artist Tinho is featured at Djerbahood**
Towering above other murals in the minds of many is Djerbahood, the giant installation put together in 2014 on the island of Djerba. There, artists from around the world travelled to the island to give the small, isolated village of Erriadh a new lease of life with a creation that, if now a little careworn, still draws visitors from across the region.
Many of Tunisia’s street artists no longer focus their anger on the police and the state, but protests do continue. In Tunis, StreetMan, who uses a figure inspired by traditional Tunisian wrought iron curls as a signature, questions everything from unemployment to irregular migration in his work.
Still, it is Israel’s war on Gaza that now dominates the scene with the buttresses supporting freeways carrying symbols of Palestine’s resistance. Elsewhere, on Avenue Jean Jaures in the heart of the city, plans are under way to install a new mural condemning Israel and the international actors backing its actions in Gaza.
“It deserves something better,” Klawd said of the space currently carrying a number of ill-assorted tags praising Palestine’s resistance, “I think we’re going to get a few people together and really do something.”
- **Designs from artists Tunizinho and StreetMan**
Towering above other murals in the minds of many is Djerbahood, the giant installation put together in 2014 on the island of Djerba. There, artists from around the world travelled to the island to give the small, isolated village of Erriadh a new lease of life with a creation that, if now a little careworn, still draws visitors from across the region.
Many of Tunisia’s street artists no longer focus their anger on the police and the state, but protests do continue. In Tunis, StreetMan, who uses a figure inspired by traditional Tunisian wrought iron curls as a signature, questions everything from unemployment to irregular migration in his work.
- **Street art from around 2017 painted by an unknown artist adorns a wall**
In the years since the revolution, graffiti has become a fact of life for many of Tunisia’s city dwellers. Commuters pass by some of the most vibrant designs in North Africa. Cars queue up outside walls coloured by the vivid imaginings of the young, the creative and the engaged.
The alternative is concrete.In the years since the revolution, graffiti has become a fact of life for many of Tunisia’s city dwellers. Commuters pass by some of the most vibrant designs in North Africa. Cars queue up outside walls coloured by the vivid imaginings of the young, the creative and the engaged.
The alternative is concrete.
- **reet art is a space for creative expression in Tunisia**
Under repressive governments, such as those that held sway over Tunisia during the decades from independence up to its revolution of 2011, there was never any real doubt. Control of the public space, its roads, its architecture and its walls was the exclusive preserve of the state.
While the muscle memory of repression may again be flexing in Tunisia, some of the dramatic gains of the post-revolutionary years, not least in terms of music and art, continue to hold their ground.
Local rap artists such as Balti, Artmasta and Klay BBJ are regular fixtures on the Tunisian charts. And graffiti has come to adorn entire swathes of the urban space, especially in the capital, where giant murals adorn the sides of public buildings and car park walls and have become creative magnets for the curious.
- **Conor Harrington biography**
Ultimately, the ability to combine unconventional, contemporary techniques while focusing on the more historical human form allows his art to be more revolutionary in nature while retaining a sense of historical importance. An example of this is Harrington’s use of male figurative aspects. He frequently depicts conflicts found in the modern male identity and its role in the “gender crisis.”
Conor Harrington’s works are unquestionably dreamlike, finding a striking balance between the ethereal senses and hard realism behind the dominant themes of today’s society. In a sense, Harrington emphasizes the importance of realism in his work by the application of more modern elements, such as feature obfuscation, that bring this style of art to light. This even distribution of both techniques by Conor Harrington allows the viewer to get a sense of the importance of both methods in depicting what he is attempting to communicate with regards to each piece.
The juxtaposition of sharp lines alongside the softer image of the human form is another clever technique used by Conor Harrington to modernize what could be seen as a more classical image. His art is astute in the sense that it takes into consideration the imagery and works of previous classical artists to bring to light what is noteworthy in today’s world.
Whether it be murals, paintings, or, as in the case of 2008’s Weekend Warriors exhibition, the use of costumes and military re-enactment enthusiasts, the integration of the old and new is what makes Conor Harrington’s work so memorable. He is always delicately, definitively tapping into both the historical and the often parallel modern themes of our society to deliver important commentary through his beautiful artworks.
- **Fin DAC biography ART**
Fin DAC, born Finbarr Notte and also referred to as Finbarr DAC, is an Irish painter from Cork known for his depictions of Eurasian women. His passion for art started at an early age, just before he left Ireland to settle in London where he spent most of his life. Over the years, Fin DAC has managed to develop a unique style he calls « urban aesthetics ».
DAC, meaning Dragon Armoury Creative, was a name found by a friend From China which first became the name of Fin DAC’s web portfolio. He kept his pseudonym when he started street art and used a dragon logo as a form of signature.
Fascinated by Asian beauty, Notte’s work has no political message and only focuses on beauty and aesthetics. His depictions are women in ethnic clothes are mainly stencil-based, with a predominence of black and white and they all wear a mysterious mask painted with bright colour splashes. All of them are heavily influenced by Asian art, with inspiration in traditional and ceremonial dressing, and most of them are based on women the artist has met. As a self-taugh and non-conformist artist, his influences range from dark graphic novels through to the works of Francis Bacon and Aubrey Beardsley.
- **Fin DAC biography ART**
Fin DAC, born Finbarr Notte and also referred to as Finbarr DAC, is an Irish painter from Cork known for his depictions of Eurasian women. His passion for art started at an early age, just before he left Ireland to settle in London where he spent most of his life. Over the years, Fin DAC has managed to develop a unique style he calls « urban aesthetics ».
DAC, meaning Dragon Armoury Creative, was a name found by a friend From China which first became the name of Fin DAC’s web portfolio. He kept his pseudonym when he started street art and used a dragon logo as a form of signature.
Fascinated by Asian beauty, Notte’s work has no political message and only focuses on beauty and aesthetics. His depictions are women in ethnic clothes are mainly stencil-based, with a predominence of black and white and they all wear a mysterious mask painted with bright colour splashes. All of them are heavily influenced by Asian art, with inspiration in traditional and ceremonial dressing, and most of them are based on women the artist has met. As a self-taugh and non-conformist artist, his influences range from dark graphic novels through to the works of Francis Bacon and Aubrey Beardsley.
- **Defining Street Art Does (Not) Have a Conclusion**
Coming from the context of urban spaces, street art now lives in the cultural spaces of galleries, virtual communities, public discourses and recently it has become an object of appropriation by the [popular culture](https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/blurred-lines-of-popular-culture/) and **the mainstream symbolism of contemporaneity**. Art pieces that have come to existence on the walls of cities reached the highest peaks of the contemporary art market. Moreover, the discussion on **the meaning of street art** resides in the halls occupied by scholars and their students, who ponder the interaction between notions of Visual Art, [Conceptual Art](https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/conceptual-art-movement-and-conceptual-art-examples), [Performance Art](https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/performance-art-the-next-step-for-urban-art/) and ways of **articulating these art forms** into the world of street art. It is clear that we are past the point of formulating street art definition as simple as a specific movement or a particular subculture. Surely, saying that it may represent **an extraordinary hybrid form of artistic expression** would be taking the easy way out.
- **Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art by Carlo McCormick**
This extensive volume traces the beginnings and the rise of graffiti and urban art, as well as its global reach as a fringe visual movement and as a social phenomenon and artistic expression of today’s youth. With an exclusive preface from Banksy, Trespass presents the full history of street art, its international spread, as well as the technical developments. Featuring works by 150 renowned artists such as Miss Van, Jean Tinguely, Keith Haring, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Gordon Matta-Clark, Billboard Liberation Front, Guerrilla Girls, and Banksy, the book connects four generations of street art practitioners. The book is divided into thematic chapters that are prefaced by a brief essay, placing the street art in a thought-provoking context to the history, politics, protest, and illicit performance of self-expression in the social space.
- **An Ongoing Transformation of Street Art**
However, **the transformation of street art** was not only influenced by the digital space. Some street artists, who had begun their work with spray cans have started to explore some **innovative and inspirational methodological planes**. In the art of [BLU](https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/blu/), street art comes to life in the context of [video art](https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/video-art). It is not just the fact that the end product represents a mesmerizing form of artistic expression, it is the journey which is happening on the streets as the artist creates. The story conveyed in BLU’s videos can be retraced in the urban setting – bits and pieces of the ephemeral expression building up to a narrative. Still, one cannot but realize that it is not the video file that carries the art, but the street and the walls, and the artist who is willing to take that step into the unknown. Another **extraordinary example** of a street artist who has taken **the road of deconstruction** and artistic self-investigation is [Vhils](https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/vhils/). He has given the notion of the wall as an object of creation a new meaning. The dialogue he achieves with the urban context is multi-leveled – from the intervention in the matter itself to the social commentary of **the contemporary world of commercialism**. How can, then, in the presence of such artists (and we have only mentioned a few),
- **PIONEERING WOMAN STREET ARTIST SWOON'S**
\*\*Next Generation: \*\*Over the decades, the reach of Street Art seems only to have grown with entire neighborhoods — Bushwick in Brooklyn, Shoreditch in London, Belleville in Paris — camouflaged by it. British-born Banksy, who was influenced by French street artist Blek le Rat, is now a household name, known as much for his distinctive imagery as for his closely guarded identity. As public attitudes, and even the laws, toward Street Art have become more accepting younger generations of street artists including Barry McGee, Brazilian twins Os Gêmeos and Swoon have garnered institutional acclaim with museum exhibitions devoted to their work.
- **Dress appropriately! (art by ALSO, photograph Dave Stuart)**
Tours will take place even if it is raining, in fact rainy conditions often give great opportunities for better photographs.
All tours and workshops conducted in English.
Guests are not permitted to bring BMX bikes, skateboards or scooters on the tour.
Street Art tours take place on public highways and from time to time may go onto private property. Clients are responsible for their own conduct and safety and participate in the tours at their own risk, participation in any tour is deemed to be acceptance of that. No liability can be accepted by Shoreditch Street Art Tours or its employees or affiliates.
Walk route may be varied taking into account any fresh and exciting street art worth finding.
- **Minsk, Belarus from The Nomadic Vegan**
As the last dictatorship in Europe, Belarus is probably the last place you would expect to find good street art. And indeed, [Minsk](https://www.thenomadicvegan.com/minsk-restaurants-vegan-belarus/), the nation’s capital, was almost completely devoid of street art until 2014. That’s when the Brazilian embassy organized the first of several urban art festivals in the city. The result has been a legacy of huge murals all over the city by very talented artists, both Brazilian and Belorussian.
The most famous place for urban art in Minsk is a street called Vulica Kastryčnickaja. This popular hangout for young residents of Minsk has become the most vibrant street in the city and is home to food trucks, bars, and even a fully vegan Minsk restaurant called Monkey Food.
The walls on both sides of the street are covered in murals. On one side, the artwork features endangered animals native to Belarus, including a bison, the national symbol. This entire mural is the work of Brazilian street artist Ramon Martins and is probably the largest mural in the world created by a single artist. The scale of the work is simply massive.
- **Minsk, Belarus from The Nomadic Vegan**
As the last dictatorship in Europe, Belarus is probably the last place you would expect to find good street art. And indeed, [Minsk](https://www.thenomadicvegan.com/minsk-restaurants-vegan-belarus/), the nation’s capital, was almost completely devoid of street art until 2014. That’s when the Brazilian embassy organized the first of several urban art festivals in the city. The result has been a legacy of huge murals all over the city by very talented artists, both Brazilian and Belorussian.
The most famous place for urban art in Minsk is a street called Vulica Kastryčnickaja. This popular hangout for young residents of Minsk has become the most vibrant street in the city and is home to food trucks, bars, and even a fully vegan Minsk restaurant called Monkey Food.
The walls on both sides of the street are covered in murals. On one side, the artwork features endangered animals native to Belarus, including a bison, the national symbol. This entire mural is the work of Brazilian street artist Ramon Martins and is probably the largest mural in the world created by a single artist. The scale of the work is simply massive.
- **Tirana, Albania from Once in a Lifetime Journey**
[TRAVEL](https://agirlandherpassport.com/category/travel/ "View all posts in Travel")
# Street Art Around the World
*JULY 29, 2019*
Finding street art around the world has been one of my favorite activities when traveling. Street art can be found almost everywhere, and much of it is outstanding. It can also be found in some unusual places as well. A famous street artist, Wild Drawing, goes to my favorite Greek island of Naxos and frequently paints new pieces at an abandoned hotel on a remote beach. For some people they find street art to be a nuisance, but many of the pieces are commissioned by the local businesses or governments. In London, the street art changes so fast you have to go several times a year to see it all. Street art may be temporary in some cases, but it is all wonderful to find on a trip. Since I haven’t been everywhere yet, I have asked my fellow travel bloggers to share their favorite street art from around the world.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
# Street Art in Europe
## Kyiv, Ukraine from [Megan Starr](https://www.facebook.com/MeganStarrBlog/)
There are so many amazing places for street art around the world, but my favorite city for it is [Kyiv, Ukraine](https://www.meganstarr.com/things-to-do-kiev-ukraine/). The Ukrainian capital city is usually thought of when people are forming images of golden domes on Ukrainian Orthodox churches, but street and urban art is what comes to my mind when I think about the city. One thing you will find in Ukraine that is new and adds a different flair and perspective to the street art is that a lot of it is politically charged and based off of the current events of the country. Ukraine is still at war with Russia, and many lives have been lost on both sides. The street art is a reflection of the country’s ability to progress forward despite the tumultuous times it is having in other regions of the country. There are many things to do in Kyiv, but I definitely think that one should go there and stroll the streets admiring the street art that is covering many building facades.
## Ghent, Belgium from [Solo Sophie](https://www.instagram.com/sophieannenadeau/)
With breathtaking picture-perfect canals, an incredible foodie scene (think waffles, fries, and plenty of beer!), and plenty of history, there’s no shortage of reasons to put the Belgian city of [Ghent](https://www.solosophie.com/alternative-guide-visit-ghent/) on your Europe bucket list. Of course, for those interested in fantastic street art, Ghent certainly doesn’t disappoint. While a huge mural dedicated to the Monuments Men can be found alongside the largest of the canals, it’s the ‘legal’ graffiti street that is truly unique to this part of Europe. For along a little pedestrian street on the fringes of the old town known as Werregarenstraat, people are free to graffiti at their leisure! Free to visit, stroll along on different occasions and you’re sure to notice a different work each time you pass through.
## Teufelsberg, Germany from [Solarpoweredblonde](https://solarpoweredblonde.com/)
Teufelsberg is located in the Grunewald forest, a short train ride from the centre of Berlin. It is an old listening station that was used during the Cold War, and Teufelsberg is actually German for ‘Devil’s Mountain.’ Teufelsberg rises up above the forest and is visible from when you get off the train at Grunewald, and it is around a half an hour walk to reach the listening station. Once you arrive, for a small fee you can walk around, or you can also get a guide. Teufelsberg is now home to many artists and creatives, and no corner is left untouched, each area is covered in street art and sculptures. It is very interesting to walk around and see all the different artworks and random sculptures made of old parts. I would recommend about an hour to make sure you can walk the whole way up to the viewpoint, where on a clear day you can see for miles.
## Tirana, Albania from [Once in a Lifetime Journey](http://facebook.com/onceinalifetimejourney)
Albania has quite a tumultuous past. After Communism overtook the country, with Enver Hoxha at the helm, much of the people’s freedom disappeared – from religion to art. After the fall of Hoxha’s regime, the country wanted to start afresh and introduce a liberation that it so lacked.
How does a nation cut off from the rest of the world revive its hope? It was politician Edi Rama’s inspiration and dream to revive this hope through art. A former artist himself, he knew that the universal language of art and self-expression would inspire a nation, uplift their spirit and bring in an international community.
Today, street art is a part of [Tirana’s](https://www.onceinalifetimejourney.com/once-in-a-lifetime-journeys/europe/things-to-do-in-tirana-albania/) persona. Buildings are painted in the colors of rainbows and murals line the city, giving an otherwise bland architecture a new and invigorating life. A place particularly covered in street art, murals, as well as galleries, is the super hip Blloku. Some stand out with bright yellow and blue while others are more intertwined into the buildings like trees.
While Tirana, Albania is not many people’s first pick for a getaway, it is a fascinating journey into a once isolated country. Even the most famous museum that showcases Albania’s history has “art” in its name – Bunk’Art.
- **Not everyone thinks Graffiti art is good**
Not everyone thinks Graffiti art is good, but acceptance and appreciation are not the purposes of these artworks. Graffiti is a rebellious counter-culture statement that is created for self-expression, often by disenfranchised individuals. It is usually made primarily for other Graffiti artists in the community and does not usually seek public acceptance.
- **Forms of Graffiti can be found throughout history**
Forms of Graffiti can be found throughout history, dating back to the cavemen. The first drawings on walls could be called Graffiti; Lascaux cave paintings in France date back to thousands of years ago. The Ancient Greeks and Romans also graffitied their names and protest poems on public buildings, similar to modern taggers. Forms of Graffiti can be found throughout history, dating back to the cavemen. The first drawings on walls could be called Graffiti; Lascaux cave paintings in France date back to thousands of years ago. The Ancient Greeks and Romans also graffitied their names and protest poems on public buildings, similar to modern taggers.
- **Graffiti is a form of visual communication created in public places**
The term Graffiti was originally a reference to ancient inscriptions. These could be words or figure drawings found on the walls of ancient sepulchers, public buildings, or ruins. Ancient Graffiti can be observed in the [Catacombs of Rome](https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/ancient-graffiti-in-roman-catacombs-1642) or at the ruins of Pompeii.
The use of the word “Graffiti” has evolved over the centuries to refer to text or graphics applied to surfaces. For a long time, the term Graffiti was synonymous with vandalism.
- **Details of Abhedya's graffiti artwork**
As Abhedya puts it, graffiti art has a bit of a “rebellious history.” Historically, unknown artists would paint over walls without seeking permission, often illegally. “It was the only art form that was accessible to the masses,” he says.
Gradually, street art evolved from graffiti. Cafes and clients started commissioning artists to paint on their walls. Various styles of graffiti also began sprouting up.
“Earlier graffiti was just about writing a name. Then, it became about how uniquely you can write your name in bubble letters or other styles. Later urban street art introduced characters and murals into the picture,” Abhedya explains.
- **You will get Street art/Typography Eye-catchy Graffiti T Shirt Designs**
Hello, my name is Dogan and for over 10 years, I have been creating artistic designs in the graffiti field. In addition to receiving quality training, I professionally use Adobe programs to create designs, content, printing patterns, and visual editing works. What sets me apart from others is my experience in creating graffiti, stencil works, and artistic works for the streets. One of the biggest things I have learned over this long period of time is what people look at on the streets or what color catches their attention, or what kind of slogan stays in people's minds. After all, the more memorable our work is, the more it affects the brand directly. I use Adobe programs to flawlessly digitize my work and present it to the public's liking. If you want something different from everyone else, long-term interaction, and a quick rise in the quality of your brand, you can contact me to have the right designs made for you
- **Here, construction workers have reassembled a graffitied wall incorrectly**
And sure enough, as we walked through the city centre, there didn’t seem to be a corner that was not under construction. Building cranes hovered over our heads and the rattling of machines filled the air; walls were being torn down and streets were being paved to embrace new housing complexes and hotels.
“This city is getting too clean” Selur jestingly remarked. “That’s the downer of painting these walls—most of them are a part of construction sites, so they won’t get to live on.”
And the few walls that aren’t set up for demolition seem reserved for the Wallpoetry Project, meaning there's not much else that gets a chance.
- **Brooklyn artist Elle inspired by local hip hop group**
Is this sophisticated venture the ultimate example of a city embracing its street art? Although Selur and many others within the street art scene are big fans of some of these works, he also mentions how Icelandic street artists weren’t invited to partake in the project.
It is impressive and beautifying for sure, but as a spelling error in the [D\*FACE](http://www.dface.co.uk/) Laxdæla Saga mural in central Reykjavík demonstrates, these are not local works.
- **Street artist INO working with song lyrics**
curator and head of Urban Nation, set out to rekindle that connection. In 2015, she invited ten international street artists to Iceland and paired them with ten musicians performing at the Airwaves festival.
The audio artists provided their visual-medium counterparts with a song, title, quote, poem, or book that greatly influenced their music. That way the written and spoken word also got to be a part of the mix, resulting in stunning pieces of wall poetry.
The project was so fruitful and well-received that it was repeated the following year.
- **One of Selur's murals at Laugavegur**
“I really don’t know what I’m doing; if it’s art, graffiti, street art, mural painting, whatever you call it. Graffiti is just an umbrella term. I don’t care what you call it, as long as it’s made with beauty in mind. Then it’s fine by me.”
Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there’s no wonder that different forms of street art have both advocates and opponents, admirers and adversaries, lovers and haters.
But graffiti is here to stay. It’s an organic, continuously developing form of art that will forever continue to grace urban landscape with its presence, no matter how many coats of paint are used to try to suffocate it.
So let’s get to exploring the many marvels of Reykjavík's streets.
- **Our guide SELUR in front of skateshop Musteri agans on Hverfisgata,**
Our journey begins in one of these graffiti-friendly venues, at a local dive bar, [Gaukurinn](https://gaukurinn.is/), where the street artist known as Selur greeted us through the fumes as he was finishing up a large mural of a bird in the establishment’s staircase.
Seemingly satisfied with the results, he put down his spray can, grabbed his penny board and lead us out onto the sun-drenched streets of Reykjavík City, to better acquaint us with the treasure trove of street art and graffiti that bejewels the streets of the capital.
- **Sydney Street Art Guide**
SYDNEY | [Sydney](https://thecitylane.com/sydney-city-guide/) is a great city to visit if you love street art. Melbourne might be better known for its street art, but there’s no shortage of quality in Sydney, in particular the suburbs of Newtown and Marrickville.
Whenever I’m in Sydney, I love walking around, discovering new pieces, and older pieces that I might have missed the last time that I was in town.
- **Graffiti and Street Art in Reykjavík**
**Despite being the world's northernmost capital, Reykjavík is home to a thriving and prevalent street art scene. Where did it all begin and where does it go from here? Learn about Iceland's graffiti history and discover where to find the hidden gems that adorn the streets of Reykjavík City. **
- **Films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,**
Films like *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*, much like with street art itself, prove that art and its potential is limitless, and there is always room for exploration.
Street art has evolved far past the meaningless scribbles society once considered it to be. Today, it gives artists from around the world a platform (whether for advertising, political commentary, film, or pure self-expression) to create art and societal progress alike.
Most of street art is located where it cannot be owned: on walls, old buildings, highway overpasses. As such, street art is shared publicly, forcing its audiences to consider another way to take the art, and its message, with them.
- **Does street art influence other media?**
Street art has influenced other media in that it allows artists of all kinds to push the boundaries of their craft’s conventions. In particular, modern graphic design and animation have evolved to reflect edgier tastes, even drawing from street art for inspiration.
Street art elevates traditional design elements because it leaves room for energetic, thoughtful choices. Things like advertising would normally necessitate clean, professional design. But modern graphic design can have a more “underground” and youthful aesthetic. Basically, graphics design can be more experimental while still being thoughtful and useful for a brand.
- **British-Ghanaian artist Dreph creates largescale, celebratory street murals**
At its best, graffiti also evokes a sense of community – whether it's the collaborative BLM pieces that have appeared internationally, or mass responses to individual works. "I realised early on that graffiti is a key, and I can go to pretty much any country in the world and meet a local within minutes because of the graffiti movement; it's a network," says Dreph. "With each place I visit, I'm learning and refining what I do. One aspect of my work, I've realised, is the community listening that happens," he adds. "Say, for instance, I go to Brixton \[a South London neighbourhood], and it takes me three days minimum to do my portraits. I'm there painting, and essentially giving something to a particular community that I don't live in. After a day or two, I'm getting cups of tea, I'm getting told about local politics, about the gentrification of the area – all these different things by the locals that live there. The actual artwork that people see is only one aspect of it."
- **n Berlin's Mauerpark, a mural by Dominican-born artist Eme**
"My thing is to inspire; once you've acknowledged the trauma, what do you do with it?" Dreph tells BBC Culture. "We are bombarded with negative imagery all day long; what do we do with that energy? It's got to be moulded into something positive… I want to constantly make authentic, inspiring, meaningful, thought-provoking work, regardless of the context."
- **Truck artist Haider Ali puts the final touches**
There is a need for lasting change, in Strong's view: "Don't just use us now, but rather continue to provide the platforms and the resources to empower our voices. It shouldn't just be about satisfying a trend but actually making an effort towards real change. Including us more. And when you do, *really* listen. And listen to several of us. Don't token one artist and make them the spokesperson for the whole group. We are diverse within our communities and we have a lot to say and in different ways."
- **The street art movement today**
Possibly one of the most famous and mainstream street artists to date goes by the name Banksy. A pseudonymous artist, Banksy is also a political activist, which is evident in his more famous works. Notably, his works reach beyond paint, and venture into sculpture and borderline performance art.
- **“Phoenix” in Penang, Malaysia, 2015**
Animals are his main subject matter. His animals are typically depicted in two disconnected parts, often disintegrating at the center or falling away at the sides. Within every piece of DALeast’s art, a pop of color observed in the background brings his subject to life. This allows him to focus on the intricacy of his technique while delivering his final product. The use of fractured imagery and contrasting backgrounds serve to give his art a breath of energy and soul that can sometimes be lost in art with a more somber subject matter.
- **“Embrace for Landing” by D*FACE in Gothenburg, Sweden**
In the midst of covid lockdowns and restrictions, urban art organisation Artscape has managed to get several of the world’s top street artists to Sweden to make their mark. In May this year nine artists have been invited to Gothenburg as part of the city celebrating 400 years. Among these names is street art veteran D\*Face, who is invited to create a mural on the international airport of Landvetter.
- **Banksy in Reading, UK**
The stencil shows a man using knotted bedsheets to “escape” from the prison. The man could eventually be the famed writer Oscar Wilde, who did spend some time in the prison between 1895 and 1895 for “homosexual crimes.”. The history behind Mr Wilde has helped establish Reading Gaol as a historic landmark.
The structure is a grade 2 building located in Forbury Road which is owned by the Ministry of Justice.
- **Banksy in Reading, UK**
The stencil shows a man using knotted bedsheets to “escape” from the prison. The man could eventually be the famed writer Oscar Wilde, who did spend some time in the prison between 1895 and 1895 for “homosexual crimes.”. The history behind Mr Wilde has helped establish Reading Gaol as a historic landmark.
The structure is a grade 2 building located in Forbury Road which is owned by the Ministry of Justice.
- **“Embrace for Landing” by D*FACE in Gothenburg, Sweden**
In the midst of covid lockdowns and restrictions, urban art organisation Artscape has managed to get several of the world’s top street artists to Sweden to make their mark. In May this year nine artists have been invited to Gothenburg as part of the city celebrating 400 years. Among these names is street art veteran D\*Face, who is invited to create a mural on the international airport of Landvetter.
- **“Phoenix” in Penang, Malaysia, 2015**
Animals are his main subject matter. His animals are typically depicted in two disconnected parts, often disintegrating at the center or falling away at the sides. Within every piece of DALeast’s art, a pop of color observed in the background brings his subject to life. This allows him to focus on the intricacy of his technique while delivering his final product. The use of fractured imagery and contrasting backgrounds serve to give his art a breath of energy and soul that can sometimes be lost in art with a more somber subject matter.