To mark International Peace Day back in 2013, British artists Jamie Wardley and Andy Moss accompanied by 60 volunteers and 500 local residents, took to the beaches of Normandy and etched 9000 fallen soldier silhouettes into the sand using rakes and stencils. The piece was washed away by the tide after only a few hours, but created a lasting impact.
Born in China, DALeast has spread his distinctive 3D technique of street art across public spaces all over the world. The artist paints creatures that appear to have been wrought from twisted metal. His pieces are instantly recognisable and burst with energy.
Street artist Pez (Spanish for fish) started painting in 1999 on the outskirts of Barcelona. Wanting to find a way to communicate and spread good vibes to the people of the city, Pez decided that his signature mark would be a fish character with a huge smile.
Since then, the artist has gone on to gain international recognition, exhibiting his work all around the globe. The last few years has also seen him create several new characters, including demons, angels and Martians. All have one thing in common – a huge and infectious smile.
Spanish artist David de la Mano creates striking and often slightly unsettling street art based around silhouettes. This typically creepy piece is entitled Silent Sound.
Although she also creates more traditional murals, Polish artist NeSpoon also creates street art that's a little different. Alongside paintings, NeSpoon also decorates buildings with cobweb-like doilies, and etches intricate designs into cement.
Parisian artist Christian Guémy – also known as C215 – uses stencils to produce beautiful street art depicting vulnerable and marginalised groups of society including refugees, street children and the elderly. Since creating his first work over 20 years ago he's developed a huge following. His street art can be spotted in galleries, auctions and on streets all over the world, in cities including Barcelona and London.
Ukrainian duo AEC and Waone, aka Interesni Kazki, create bright and vibrant street art that references a variety of cultures and art forms including sci-fi, Mexican folk tales, religion and classical art. For the most part their surreal ideas are created with acrylic paint using rollers, although on some very small pieces of work they use spray cans.
New York-born, Baltimore-based street artist Gaia's incredible skills, combined with his strange compositions have gained him worldwide recognition. He's also keen to help others explore the street art medium, setting up festivals and group sessions to fill places like his town of Baltimore with new and exciting murals.
There's nothing quite like walking along your local high street and coming across a whole new, 3D world – completely made of chalk. Many other chalk artists could have featured in this list, but it's Julian Beever's playful approach to the medium that has us in awe.
The British artist started out as a busker, before attracting commercial commissions in the mid 2000s. He even made a 10-part TV series and released a book, Pavement Chalk Artist, in 2011.
32. See No Evil
For two consecutive summers, Bristol – home of Banksy and centre of a vigorous street art scene – played host to one of the biggest celebrations of street art Europe has ever seen.
Organised by legendary street artist Inkie and Team Love, it was See No Evil's mission to transform one of city's most deprived stretches of road into a work of art. Nelson Street, located in Bristol's city centre was a dreary, grey walkway. Artists from around the world, including New York's Tats Cru and LA's El Mac descended upon the city to bring it to life.
Using characters from model train sets, Slinkachu's Little People Project is a mixture of street art and photography. If you've had the pleasure of stumbling upon one of his odd little creations, you'll appreciate his humour and childlike imagination.
Slinkachu says that the titles he gives to each scene, "aims to reflect the loneliness and melancholy of living in a big city, almost being lost and overwhelmed". However, he is quick to add that "underneath this, there is always some humour".
34. Joshua Allen Harris
Street Art: Joshua Allen Harris' Inflatable Bag Monsters - YouTube
As you'll already have gathered, not all street art involves the use of spray paint. This video from Joshua Allen Harris shows just what can be created with a few household items.
Now primarily a photographer, back in 2008 Harris caused a stir with his Inflatable Bag Monster project. The artist created creatures using disregarded plastic bags and attached them to subway grates around New York, ready to be inflated into life by gusts of air from passing trains. Some of the pieces had an environmental angle, such as the plastic polar bear, which deflated to its death to offer a strong message about global warming and the effects it continues to have on the world we live in.
The best-known street artist across the world, Banksy's challenging, contrary and thought-provoking, stencil-based art has made a huge impact on both high and low culture. In recent years he's branched out with more ambitious projects including a hotel in Bethlehem and a theme park in Weston-Super-Mare, but his politically charged stencil artwork continues to make an stir wherever it appears.
Hailing from Bristol, UK, the artist keeps his identity a secret. Some claim he has a team of people working on each creation while others believe he still works alone. Whatever the case, his art remains as impactful as ever.
Known as the 'Russian Banksy', street artist Pavel Puhov (aka Pavel 183 or P-183), has been cooking up a political storm in his native country for over a decade. Like Banksy, the artist's identity is unknown, adding to the mystique surrounding him.
The Moscow-based graffiti artist's creations often have a strong political stance. Some have included paintings of riot police, civilian protesters and even a reimagined painting of National Geographic's infamous Afghan girl photo. Placing his art in very public locations, such as subway doors, makes certain that it's not ignored.
A German native, Jan Vormann spent three years travelling the world, 'repairing' crumbling and disregarded buildings with his brightly coloured version of Polyfilla. The venture had humble beginnings, starting out in a small art fair in Rome before moving onto bigger ventures. He has even filled the holes of buildings in Berlin that had been damaged by guns during the second World War.
Next page: 13 more awesome examples of street art
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Georgia is lucky enough to be Creative Bloq's Editor. She has been working for Creative Bloq since 2018, starting out as a freelancer writing about all things branding, design, art, tech and creativity – as well as sniffing out genuinely good deals on creative technology. Since becoming Editor, she has been managing the site and its long term strategy, helping to shape the diverse content streams CB is known for and leading the team in their own creativity.
