Top 5 of the artist you must know
Today, we wanted to give you a little Top of the artists that we love and who are the most active and visible on the current street art scene.
Every street artist has their own style, motifs and statements – but they all have one thing in common: their artwork leaves a lasting impression, and not just in public spaces.
1. Banksy
We no longer need to introduce him and even if you don't know his artist name, you necessarily know his works, such as the “Girl with Balloon”, a work done on the Waterloo Bridge in South Bank (London).
The mysterious British artist Banksy, whose real name and face no one knows, is an integral part of the global street art scene. His reputation grew exponentially with the release of his 2010 film “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Three years later, he took New York by storm with his project “Better Out Than In”. Scattered throughout Manhattan, art installations burst into the night and fog action and generated worldwide hype about the street artist. We were impatiently waiting for Banksy to reappear and “strike” again. In recent years, the artist's work has focused on criticism of major contemporary crises such as the situation of migrants and refugee camps, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the murder of George Floyd a few months ago. in the USA. All his works today have a significant impact on a won over international audience. 2. Shepard Fairey Also known as Obey, this American street artist is a screenprinter, muralist and illustrator who originally comes from the Skateboard scene. With more than 30 years of career, he has become an international and essential artist. His works often reflect a message of struggle against injustice and violence. His global visibility was greatly strengthened by his support for Barack Obama's campaign in 2008, by the creation of his “HOPE” poster and then by the official poster for the former President's inauguration in 2009. He also created numerous frescoes in France, notably two impressive facades in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, a first work representing a woman's face, and a second following the attacks of November 13, 2015 representing a Marianne and the motto “Liberty, Equality , Fraternity”.
Present on walls in many cities such as Berlin, Boston, Sydney, in 2019, he will create his 100th fresco near the Pompidou center in Paris.
His career often revolves around highlighting the faces of people who are invisible or who have something to say but who are not heard. Women as victims of war in his documentary film “Women are Heroes”, produced following a project started in Rio de Janeiro and then in several countries around the world.
The elderly in “The Wrinkles of the City” or even “Artocracy in Tunisia”, which, in collaboration with Tunisian photographers, displays one hundred portraits in public spaces to highlight Tunisia representing the diversity of the population. This latest project is the first initiative of the artist’s Inside Out project.
More recently, his latest Parisian work pays homage to cinema with the giant collage of a work in front of the Paradisio MK2 hotel, a reference to Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd.
JR is today an essential international artist putting the men and women of the world at the center of his art.
4. Christina Angelina Christina Angelina, also known as Starfighter, is a street artist from Los Angeles.
His work revolves around portraits painted with detail and realism in order to highlight the dualism between the strength and vulnerability of the face. His works are poignant and convey an intensity of strong emotions in the features of his portraits, making the artist a must-see on the international street art scene.
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In 2015, the Huffington Post highlighted the artist by declaring that the work “Splash” created in collaboration with Fin DAC in Sao Paulo was one of the most influential in street art around the world.
Christina Angelina also collaborates with many global brands such as Nike, Microsoft or Heineken.
2. C215
Christian Guemy aka C215 comes from Paris and travels the world. During his travels, he worked as a street artist and made his mark internationally. In his works he presents the faces of the inhabitants because they “reflect the personality of the city”, as he himself says. He is also inspired by his daughter as a creative theme. Her works depict, accompany and document her daughter's growth and transition to adulthood, as a woman.
Over time, his technique became a symbol of stencil art. C215 exhibits both in France and abroad, from San Francisco to Saint Petersburg via Tokyo.