Supersized art: 10 radical muralists transforming cities around the world | CNN
Thank You!
Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much
appreciated.
Close
Ad Feedback
Supersized art: 10 radical muralists transforming cities around the world
Dissection of a Whale by Nychos (New York, New York) —
Born to a family of hunters, Austrian street artist Nychos has been fascinated with animal anatomy his whole life. Cartoonish yet strangely detailed murals like the one above are his specialty.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
Herakut (Lueneburg, Germany) —
German muralists Hera and Akut have worked together since 2004. They combine characters who seem plucked from fairy tales with biting text.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
Seth (Paris, France) —
Julien Malland -- better known as Seth -- is one of the most renowned graffiti artists working today. A trained fine artist (he attended the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris), he's primarily known for his young doll-like figures.
"The large walls require a special technique and approach, and a very particular way of working," he says in Mural XXL. "In my opinion they represent the most spectacular aspect of what I call public art."
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
La Virgen de la Discordia by INTI (San Juan, Puerto Rico) —
Chilean artist INTI prefers to work solo when he creates his murals, which always feature bizarre aliens that wouldn't look strange in a Star Wars story board. Why?
"I love to go to the difficult ways in life rather than the easy ones," he says.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
ecb (Ferropolis, Germany) —
While others focus on youth and fantasy, ecb -- born Hendrik Beikirch -- exclusively creates black-and-white portraits of old men, wrinkles and all. This one at a former mine site depicts miners from the region.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
The Healer by Bezt (Kosice, Slovakia) —
Creative duo Przemek Blejzyk and Mateusz Gapski -- who go by Sainer and Bezt respectively, and together form the Etam Cru -- first met as students at the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Art in Lodz, Poland.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
Primavera by Sainer (Lodz, Poland) —
"What's important to me in the first place is to create something good. It is really cool when it puts a smile on the faces of people passing by," said Blejzyk.
"After I finish a wall I am going back to my place, but the people who live there, they see this mural for years. So it is cool when my work boosts their imagination and when people create stories to my illustrations."
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
Vhils (Lisbon, Portugal) —
Instead of using paint to create his portraits, Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto -- Vhils -- carves and chisels faces into former billboards and deteriorating walls, using the negative space to create features and shadows.
New Zealand's Askew covers local buildings with images of Polynesian natives. Not content to spend all of his time creating murals, he also works as a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, and director.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
Case for Pow Wow Festival 2015 (Honolulu, Hawaii) —
Andreas von Chrzanowski -- who works under the name Case -- is known for his photo-realistic portraits and close-ups of hands.
Courtesy Thames & Hudson
Case (Magnitogorsk, Russia) —
This 10-story mural, von Chrzanowski's largest to date, took six days to complete and required the use of a local fire department's fire engine ladder.
Why does he believe his images have such an impact?
"Mankind is awestruck by everything that is massively big. It always reminds us how small we are," he says.
