Horfee – Hard Comix solo exhibition in Paris

Last Saturday I joined the opening of the second solo show of the Parisian street and graphic artist Horfee. The exhibithion named Hard Comix took place at the Gallery Celal in Paris.

“Hard Comix” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

Hard Comix series on canvas is a result of a new challenge for Horfee. Producing works indoors in a studio, he criticizes the contemporary art world, the excess of the capitalism, corruption and greed. His inspiration comes from the original pulse of his city and also from old cartoons of the 30’s that he represents between illustration and abstraction.  Five hours after the opening of the show , half of the canvas were already sold, proving Horfee’s immense success.

“Escape dat shit” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

“Quatre éléments” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

“Skull head’s mechanics” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

“Try one” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

“Train 3” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

“Trains mascarade” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

“This is how we do it” by Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

Horfee at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

Horfee Vernissage at Celal Gallery – Photo Fernanda Hinke

Horfee started to work on the streets of Paris 12 years ago. He have been writing his name on walls, trains, trucks and roofs all over the world and his work is considered to be the most innovating and original graffiti in the world at the moment.  With a unique style mixing typography and illustration,  he loves bombing  (or “BOMB-BING” as he calls it) in a “dubs” (style of make graffiti very quickly).   But even with this underground attitude in his blood he also attended the “celebre” École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

Graffiti by Horfee
Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

Graffiti by Horfee
Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

Graffiti by Horfee
Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

Last June in company of Demian Smith, we interviewed and recorded Horfee while he was making a wall with the British artist Sickboy in the eighteenth arrondissement in Paris, a wall arranged by Alternative Paris. Moment that we understood his point of view as a graffiti artist working between freely on the streets and for galleries. “The way that street art evolved gave us an opportunity to live from it without transforming what is the base, the base for us (me and my friends) is street graphic as a discipline, just putting your name out in the streets. Beside you are free to be an illustrator, and show your art with the same name that you sign on the streets inside galleries.”, Horfee explained us.

Horfe (left) & Sickboy (far right) stand in front of their painting at the eighteen arrondissement in Paris Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

Horfee & Sickboy work at eighteen arrondissement in Paris
Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

The show Horfee Hard Comix will run until December first at the Gallery Celal. For more information click here.  Our video interview with Horfee and takes from this amazing show will come soon!

Sten and Lex – Solo exhibition in Paris

Yesterday I joined the opening of the solo show of the Italian street artists Sten and Lex at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.  The art duo are world famous for their unique style which they named “Hole School”, a reference to the “Old School”.

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.

They mix two important elements of street-art: stencil and poster. Gluing an image on wood medium and hand cutting thousands of lines, painting it black, what brings an image when paper tape comes out, slowly revealing the work.

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris

Sten and Lex art work is really impressive, always portraits, photos from the 60’s and 70’s, anonymous characters,  black and white, elegant and discreet.  A finesse that you can see in each line, a thousand of them cut by hand that also creates an illusion, part of the meticulous work.

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris

Sten and Lex at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.

In Italy, they are considered the pioneers of “stencil graffiti”, where they have been working since 2001. Last year  Sten and Lex had their work exhibited at Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO) marking their entry into the world of contemporary art. With an international reputation, they already participated in a lot of festivals and projects around the world, including an invitation by Banksy to work beside him on Cans Festival in 2008 in England.

Sten and Lex solo show at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.

Sten and Lex opening show at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.

Last June, Sten and Lex came to Paris to make Le M.U.R (an association that brings a new street-artists to performance each 15 days, in a huge ex-billboard on Rue Oberkampf ), at the time they also did some other awesome works on the streets of Paris.

Sten and Lex work on the street of Paris

Sten and Lex work on the street of Paris

Sten and Lex work in progress for Le M.U.R last June.
Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

Sten and Lex  for Le M.U.R last June.
Photo by Demian Smith – Alternative Paris

Sten and Lex  art work is really strong and unique. I highly recommend everyone to enjoy the show, which runs until November 10, at Magda Danysx Gallery in Paris.

Alternative London Street-Art tour

Last week I went to London for a trip of a couple of days. In company of two lovely ladies from Brazil who were visiting me in Paris, we planned to have a general view of London, including all mainstream places. It was a very short time to enjoy the city, specially a so exciting and cosmopolitan city as London. I also got some tips from my British friend Demian Smith who suggested me to have a beer on Soho, to visit the Primhose Hill close to Regent’s park for a beautiful view of the city and also to visit the East End of London to enjoy the creative community and of course to see street art.

Work by Flip from Sao Paulo on East End London

On the second day, while my travelling mates were spending some pounds at Harrods’s  I booked an street art tour for myself promoted by Alternative London.

I disagree with the provocative and hilarious Australian street-artist Lush, that last May wrote with spray cans on the walls of London that “Street art tours are gays”, justifying that street art tours are unnecessary once even alone if you just walk in that area you are able to discover a lot of street art  without being on a tour with a guide. For a short trip, to book a street art tour is definitely the best way to see the most important pieces of street-art, get fresh information about the artists and also to learn the history of one specific area, usually home of a creativity community.

I also like to discover street art in an intuitive way, for example last August when I spent 10 days in Amsterdam just biking around the city I was able to collect pictures from more than 150 works. In London, with the street art tour, I saw more than 50 different works just in 2 hours, isn’t it spectacular?

Work by Lush last May in London – Photo by ecosystem.org

The Alternative London Tours is the pioneer to offer street-art tours in London, they are very passionate and have a huge knowledge about Street Art. Our meeting point was in front of the Spitalfield market, a place in East End of London where you can clearly see the fusions of the of Victorian splendor and contemporary architecture also the financial center that has been invading the community area.

The East End has always been recognized for the wealth of culture represented. Historically it has played host to a transient community, primarily for new immigrants. It’s an area known for its spirit and strong sense of community. It’s quite shocking to look in one direction and see the Christ Church, Spitalfields that was built in the 1741 and also the Spitalfield market that has been working since 1638 beside that so many contemporary buildings as 30 St Mary Axe also know for “The Gherkin” built in 2004.

Christ Church, Spitalfields  East End of London

During the 2 hours tour, the guide Doug Gillen showed us a lot of very sophisticated street-art including well known artists as Ben Slow, ROA, Pablo Delgado, Flip, Stick, Dscreet  and many others. I was really surprised during all the tour beyond the explanation of different styles, techniques and the street-artists concepts, the guide gave us a lot of insights about the history and culture of that community that have made the area what it is today, witch enriched so much the tour.

Alternative London walk tour –  Background work by Stik

Work by Ben Slow

Work by Jana & Js and Dscreet

Work by Mear One

Work by Malark  and ROA

Work by Vilhs, Ronzo and Mobster

Work by D’Face and  Ronzo

Work by ACE

Work by Dibo & Pez

Work by Jimmy C.

Work by Olek

Work by Nether and Swoon

Work by Jimmy C.

Work by Pablo Delgado

Work by ROA

Work by Pure Evil

Work by Eine

Work by Eine

When the tour finished I still took the chance to go back and check on a interesting  unicorn painted by Lush which is on the area.  Alone I walked there to appreciate the work and have my own picture. On the way back to take the subway on Liverpool Station, just a few meters from Lush work something really magical happened. I met the American artist Nether on the exact moment he was pasting up on the street. An amazing coincidence!!!!! I had interviewed him one week ago in Paris,  with my colleagues  from Alternative Paris (that has no connection with Alternative London by the way). We also followed and recorded Nether pasting up around Paris for a street art video that we are working on and will be available soon. Meeting him in London while acting, definitely wanted to tell me something really special.

Work by Lush

Nether pasting up on East End – London

Yes, if you are planning to go to London I rightly recommend you to book a tour with Alternative London. More than just see great and impressive street-art, you will be inspired by the creative atmosphere of the area and maybe something magical can happen with you as happened to me. For more information’s click on the link here. The tour is operated on a pay- what-you-like basis. 

In front of Liverpool Station with the “The Gherkin” on the back