10 Breathtaking Murals From Around The World
Street art is a strong medium where you can interact with a wide audience and change your mindsets. Creative minds find their own best way to pack a message in between the bristles of their brushes.
Through mural art, painters express an innate message. Such, sometimes vague, messages can be anything from social issues to the lives of artists and beauty. In a way, street art can be associated with the prehistoric cave drawings, which were also a way of passing on a message.
Today street artists are drawing inspiration from their culture, status quo, societal issues, modernity, and painting it on the walls.
If you’re an art lover and you’re looking for great street art, graffiti, and murals,then you’re in the right place! Read on to find out where you can go and visit some of the world’s most stunning murals.
1.Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Plovdiv was voted “European capital of culture” in 2019 and is famous for having some of the best murals in the world. You can find graffiti in the pedestrian part of the center, the famous Kapana district, the Old town, as well as in more marginal neighborhoods. Artists have their own unique style that makes this town so remarkable.
Plovdiv is a huge gallery of street art. You can see paintings on the famous hills, residential buildings, schools, garages, on the walls of underpasses, and abandoned buildings.
“Street Art Fest” is an annual event in the cultural calendar of Plovdiv, that unites and gathers artists and gives them the opportunity to show their abilities. Amongst all the tags, you can find some of the most popular crews ‒ Dark, Stern, OzOne, CMS, PTC, East, Phame, Alice, Draw, etc. Quite a few guest artists have left their marks as well.
You should definitely put this place in your “must visit” list.
2.Utrecht, the Netherlands
The master of street art, Jan Is De Man, is the person to come up with the idea for this mesmerizing wall in Utrecht. In his opinion, it unites the people community by the art, literature, and love for reading. He and his colleague Deef Feed, have turned the wall of a building into a wonderful library. Fun fact: the books painted on the wall were chosen by the local residents. They are “pure literature” – excluded religious and political topics. Also, they are in eight different languages.
The project for the mural occurred spontaneously. Friends of Jan Is De Man asked him to paint “something” on the wall of that building. At first, his idea was to paint a big smile, that would bring the passers-by positive thoughts and good mood. Once he got to know the building more, he gave up on that idea and decided that it’ll be better suited to make it into a library.
“The place ‘tickles’ your brain. It’s like how you can read the same book more than once, but feel totally different every time!” says the author Jan Is De Man.
3.Memphis, USA
The urban renovation of the metropolis of Tennessee comes with the assistance of artist Julien de Casabianca, as part of his international outings project, which has turned concrete walls into mural canvases since 2014. Casabianca has left his mark on the walls of Paris, Geneva, Hong Kong, Brussels, and dozens of other cities to apply his take on urban street art on any surface worth changing.
Casabianca tends to follow a more traditional approach. Classic in this case meant that Casabianca scoured through the art photographs housed in the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and picked pieces that he felt could be blown up to be larger than life. It is almost like he turned part of the surroundings of the city into a giant replica of museum attractions outdoors.
4.Paris, France
Marko 93, a famous street artist for his giant frescos, paid a tribute to Frida Kahlo. His nickname is “The French Lighter” because of the exploration of light in his work. To many, Frida Kahlo became a role model. She always advocated for men and women’s equality, and much later, feminists reassessed her work and formed a Kahlo cult with t-shirts, posters, books, and comics. Frida Kahlo became the nations’ symbol after the revolution in 1910.
Marko 93 has taken care of every aspect of Frida Kahlo in his street art painting, including her love of animals and her eyes showing fearlessness. This work of art can be found in the streets of Rue de L’Ourcq, Paris.
5.Lisbon, Portugal
Telmo and Miel, alias The Vikings, painted spectacular murals across the globe. One such piece of art in Lisbon, Portugal, named “Two of One Kind,” stands as a testimony to the splendor of street art painting by the brothers. They created this mural for the MURO Festival, in collaboration with a Portuguese artist, Pariz One.
Each street art depicts a story of the neighborhood or place. And it’s said this “Two Of One Kind” is community-focused. The girls, wearing oversized shirts in the murals, are said to highlight some problems that could be affecting the particular area.
6.Sofia, Bulgaria
The wall of the building on “Paris” 5 St. is the latest work of art of the well-known around the world Bulgarian artist – Bozko. The painting is situated in the capital – Sofia, near the Opera and somehow predisposed affecting a painful topic – about the artist and his battles. Is it a false reality we live in, are the wings of the art they make tired and are the applause the artists receive thorny?
Bozko is distinguished by his multilayered and unique style. Thought by many to be a philosopher, he has a deep understanding of the urban chaos. He is the creator of some of the best murals in Bulgaria, well-known around the whole world. Bozko’s art has spread to Brussels, Lyon, Berlin, Italy, Monaco, etc. His monumental piece of art was in the top 3 of “Best walls in the world” for 2015.
The Argentinian artist – Francisco Bosoletti, was invited to make his tribute to the poet Vaptsarov. 110 years after his birth, in the heart of Sofia, the poetic wall of “Faith” by Bosolleti is brought to life. Inspired by the poetry of Vaptsarov (translated in more than 90 languages), he created his work of art on the wall of the Museum House of N.Y. Vaptharov on “Angel Kanchev” 37 St.
Here are some more murals that would captivate your attention:
7.Reykjavik, Iceland
Herakut, an art duo from Germany, collaborated with Kronos Quartet, an American string quartet, to bring out their imaginations on the walls of Reykjavik in Iceland. Herakut displayed their signature character, surrounded by birds, playing the cello. There’s also a text that reads, “Isn’t our job to be collecting great moments.” Yes, it is!
Wall Poetry is the result of artists and musicians who had gathered in Reykjavik for the Airwaves Festival. The piece of art looks like a reminder that people should take more time off and create incredible memories. The music that comes from the cello and the flying birds aim to combine nature and poetry, but that’s just our understanding. Visiting Wall Poetry will allow you to make your own interpretations.
8.Boston, MA, USA
Massachusettes, Los-Angeles born artist, El Mac, painted his mural as an installation for Northeastern’s Public Art Project on the side of Meserve Hall in the center of Boston. The mural is finely made and thought out carefully. It depicts a young lady with one hand holding a paintbrush and the other holding a lightning bolt.
Starting with no more than a brick wall, El Mac himself painted the entire wall white before adding in detail and color. When you’re in the Boston area searching for a place to see beautiful art, 360 Huntington Avenue will be a perfect mark on the map.
9.Johannesburg, South Africa
Situated in Johannesburg, South Africa, this stunning mural painted by the South African muralist, Faith47, is an eye-catching street art piece. His authentic representation in the midst of the suburban life of African wildlife is both a stunning portrait and a strong statement about man vs nature.
Titled “Giant Elephant,” the use of dark shades of gray and blue, blend in easily to the wall on which it sits. This mural is simplistic yet heavy with detail. A visit to South Africa is meant for you if you’re a lover of murals, animals, and a culture grounded in an appreciation for all kinds of art.
10.Dublin, Ireland
Edgar Müller, the world’s finest street painter with 3D illusion, brings cutting edge pavement art to the streets. He conceives these giant optical illusions which dazzle the spectators. Müller has repeatedly broken his record in the Guinness Book of World Records. His 3D art depicting Ice Age characters has got him the prestigious honors.
Edgar Müller created The Crevasse, a giant fissure that spans more than 250 square meters in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. When we saw the art we were certain that Sid from Ice Age is back on another continent-shattering charade with his acorn. Yes, the creations of Edgar are that amazing!
