Inspiring positive vibes and sparking conversations about mental health, ten artists were busy last week fashioning a wonderfully diverse array of murals at South Street Seaport. Conceived and curated by designer, illustrator and muralist Annica Lydenberg aka Dirty Bandits and mental health advocate and author Samantha Schutz, the project suggests that we are all connected through our common humanity and, therefore, never alone.
The image featured above was designed by the Chinese American artist Zipeng Zhu aka Mr.Dazzle. Several more images of newly designed “You Are Not Alone” murals follow:
Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Sally Rumble
Dominican-American visual artist and graffiti writer Indie 184
Stay posted to the Street Art NYC Instagram for images of Priority Bicycles — designed by six of the artists — that will be used for “Priority Delivers” in honor of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month and Bicycle Month.
Soi Books, a new series of delightfully curated mini books, celebrates a diverse range of hugely talented urban artists from across the globe. The artists’ varied works, distinct stories and personal histories are at once alluring and provocative. And not only do these booklets introduce us to these artists’ creations, but they acquaint us with the particular cultures and places that inspired them.
Among Soi Books,s newly published editions is TILL WE MEET AGAIN presenting an enticing array of artwork by the distinctly skilled Swiss-Peruvian woodblock printer Tania Brun. Included too is a variety of photographs — offering insights into her and her family’s lives. Crisp and infectious, Tania’s aesthetic largely reflects her Andean heritage.
“We used to live in a small town in Puno, where my father was a priest,” she relates. “He always taught us to appreciate the people of the Andes and not to take advantage of being half-Swiss.”
Another of Soi Books,’s inaugural editions focuses on the prolific Italian graffiti crew, SOOL. Curated in a feverishly frenetic and playful mode, the booklet, SOOL BOOMB BOOK, brilliantly captures the talents, energies and adventures of multimedia artists Claudio, Marco and Nicola who hail from the mountains of Northern Italy.
SUPER STRIKE presents a glimpse into Suiko, a wonderfully versatile artist who hails from Hiroshimo. With photos documenting the artist in a range of settings from his studio in Hiroshima to the streets of Nepal, along with engaging, informative text and images of hugely impressive artworks, SUPER STRIKE both educates and and inspires.
CHIP7LAND, the edition focusing on Bangkok-based Thai-American painter and Mayhen crew founder CHIP7, presents – in addition to photographs and random musings – masterful images of futuristic landscapes representing a fusion of Western and Eastern sensibilities.
And all of the booklets also give us a glimpse into the artists at work, providing further insights into the creative process.
To find out more about about these Soi Books, discover others, and find out how you can get your artwork published, check here.
Located a short distance south of Madrid’s capital, the city of Fuenlabrada hosts an eclectic range of huge, enticing murals. The image featured above, titled Cambios, was fashioned by the Spanish artist Manuel J. Hernández Miguel aka Morse. Several more murals we encountered last week while exploring the streets of Fuenlabrada follow:
Argentina-born, Spain-bred abstract artist Felipe Pantone, “OPTICHROMIE FNLBRD”
Pictured above is a segment from Italian artist Jorit‘s superb visual ode to hip-hop legend KRS-One. Several more images of faces that have surfaced on NYC public spaces in the past few months follow:
Through art murals and installations, the aWall Mural Projects creates opportunities for artistic expression while engaging youth and enhancing public spaces — one wall at a time. Last month, a group of first-rate national and international artists transformed the exterior walls of the Paul Laurence Dunbar K-8 Center, while bringing “the power of art to the next generation.”
Since 2014, The Raw Project has been bringing intrigue and inspiration to schools in Miami and beyond at a time when American schools continue to see their arts education programs defunded. First rate artists from across the globe transform blank school walls into alluring open-air canvases inspired by the students, school and community. Under the curatorial direction of Robert Skran and Audrey Sykes, magic once again came to Miami during the week of Art Basel, 2022. And travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad was there to capture it.
The image pictured above was painted by Montreal-based Kevin Ledo, Titled “Fabian,” it portrays a first-grader at the West Little River K-8 Center. What follows is a sampling of several more murals that surfaced last month on the walls of the West Little River school.
Los Angeles-based Eric Skotnes, “Nolite Timere” (“Don’t Be Afraid”)
Miel Krutzmann of the Dutch duo Telmo Miel, “Minds Unfolded”
Telmo Pieper of the Dutch duo Telmo Miel, “Throwing Sticks and Chasing Stains’
London-based Dale Grimshaw at work on “Linky” — titled by a student
Since 2015, the annual SHINE Mural Festival has been transforming St. Petersburg, Florida’s coastal “Sunshine City,” into an intriguing open-air museum featuring local, national and international artists. Travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad was there to capture this year’s festival which had taken place in mid-October.
The distinctly dramatic image pictured above was painted by Berlin-based James Bullough, who is posed in front of his mural. The artist explains his choice of colors as “a subtle shoutout” to Amsterdam-based Joram Roukes whose artwork was previously on this wall. Several more images from this year’s SHINE Mural Festival follow:
LA-based, French duo 123KLAN in front of their mural
Adding sixteen new murals to Downtown Cincinnati, BLINK, the nation’s largest light and art festival, took place last month for the first time since 2019. The cleverly captivating artwork featured above was painted by Atlanta-based Greg Mike. Several more murals — all captured by by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad — follow:
Chicago-based Max Sansing portrays two figures “in meditation with their thoughts while looking up to the sky symbolizing the future and limitless possibilities.”
Amsterdam-based Mr. June presents “an alternative experience of the environment, which has been optically manipulated by form, colors and perspectives.”
Athens native Insane 51 portrays Euthenia, the ancient Greek female spirit of prosperity
Denver-based duo Lindz and Lamb at work on “Who Dey!” referencing the chant that breaks out after the Bengals score touchdowns at Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium
I recently had the opportunity to speak to BedStuy Walls Mural Festival founder and chief curator Miki Mu about the hugely successful community arts festival held earlier this month on Lexington Avenue and Do the Right Thing Way in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
This is all so wonderful. What was your initial inspiration for this project?
This is my neighborhood. I’ve lived in Bed-Stuy for over ten years. I was interested in celebrating and beautifying my neighborhood. And I know the huge power of art to uplift a community! I also wanted to create a space where people and businesses in my neighborhood could interact. My vision for this particular project began about a year ago.
How did you secure these walls? They are in such a prime spot, and these murals have totally transformed the entire block.
My neighbor introduced me to the owner of one of the the businesses on the block. But there were many challenges to actually securing these walls. It was not an easy task!
What were some of these challenges that you encountered in seeing this project through?
After I did secure the walls, I had to get a permit to close the block for the day of the festival. The walls and sidewalk had to be primed in advance. I had to purchase supplies. The entire project was quite expensive. I set up a Go Fund Me, but I did have to cover most of the expenses myself.
You have here such a wonderful range of artists here — from legendary graffiti writers to noted contemporary urban artists to newer emerging ones. How did you get the word out to the artists?
We started an Instagram account, and the word quickly spread. So many artists expressed interest in participating — far more than I could have imagined. I still get requests!
How did the community respond to the event?
The response was tremendous! The community loved it! Families came out, and there were so many kids…jumping rope, dancing to the hip-hop music, making art and simply having fun! It was wonderful — actually better than I had anticipated! But I never could have done this alone; there were many folks whose generosity made this possible. Among them are: Chateau Brooklyn for serving as our mothership, headquarters and base; Badman Bus aka Cookie Monster Bus for providing music and a sound system; all of the DJ’s for volunteering their talents; Cheryl Foy, a retired teacher and resident of the block, for helping us secure the block permit and Joe Cirano from Rogers & Sons, the owner of the walls; the Blue Bus Project for providing activities for the kids; Radial Park for lending us ladders; Project Barkada, also, for lending us a ladder and scaffolding; Solidarity Movers for helping us move all the equipment from one location to another and for providing, as well, a fun activity for kids; Black Men Build, Black Chef Movement and Josiane Lysius for providing free food; Loop Colors for adding extra cans to our order; Frankie Velez, my co-curator, for assisting and supporting my efforts in every aspect of this project, and, of course, all of the artists for generously sharing their skills and visions with us.
Tracing the emergence of graffiti from an underground subculture into a legitimate profession, Duality: A Graffiti Story — directed by Ryan Dowling — focuses on the struggles and successes of five noted graffiti artists. In the Buffalo 8 documentary feature film, legendary writersMeres One, Dual, Sloke, Jaber and Never1959 share their challenges and ventures as they reflect on their personal journeys in this ever-evolving culture.
Many graffiti writers — who were initially deemed as vandals for their tagging and illegal interventions — now earn wide recognition and respect for their stirring murals that grace cities across the globe. Their aesthetics have made their way inside and outside a range of upscale properties from luxury hotels to major corporations — who court them to enhance the “coolness” of their brands.
Once working mainly clandestinely, these artists now foster community, as they share their talents openly with others — who are eager to learn from their skills or simply observe and photograph them as they paint. And as their artwork begins to blur the lines between graffiti, urban art and fine art, it also increasingly finds a home in galleries.
Among the film’s recurrent themes is the artists’ addiction to getting up and their deep love for graffiti. “I’ll probably never ever not want to write my name on something. It’s an addiction for sure,” states Dual. “It’s amazing that there’s that opportunity to bridge the gap from doing illegal graffiti to doing commercial work with big companies.”
Several screenshots from the riveting documentary follow:
NYC-based Meres One, founder and curator of the iconic graffiti mecca 5Pointz — whose talents continue to make their way onto walls, huge canvases, lightbulbs and varied corporate settings.
Houston, Texas-based Dual, best known for his wheat pastes — whose body of artwork includes everything from meticulously-made tape collages to sign painting to huge commissioned murals that beautify cities
Austin, Texas native Sloke — who, in addition to painting, curating and mentoring youth — has produced murals for a range of companies including Apple, Facebook, Nike, Google, Red Bull and Time Warner
West Coast-based Jaber (ala El Ninja Blanco) — who has been making his mark on the streets since the early 9o’s and now does — among other things — design for major fashion companies and film sets
Los Angeles-based Never1959 — who is best-known for his large scale murals on buildings around Los Angeles
Never‘s 50-foot high mural that parodies the 1958 Orson Welles film noir “Touch of Evil”
The premiere of this splendid homage to graffiti will take place tomorrow, October 19th, in Austin, Texas. And beginning Oct. 21, it will be available on Amazon Prime, AppleTV/iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube movies.