Seasoned street artist Etnik recently completed his mural for the urban art Project 12 + 1 in L’Hospitalet hosted by Contorno Urbano in Spain. The Stockholm-born artist presently lives and works in Turin, Italy, but ventured to Europe’s eastern region to participate in this unique event, which hosts one new artist each month and culminates with a group gallery showcasing each individual artist’s work.
Well-steeped in the international street art scene and active in graffiti writing since the early 90s, Etnik’s rich experience is evident in the mural he created for this festival. The work utilizes multiple elements of Etnik’s signature style, including “geometric architectonic elements” that jump out, visually protruding from the wall amongst a rainbow of punchy colors. A release from the organizer points out these swirling colors take the shape of canto leaves, which “represent nature” and are “also a symbol that often you cAn see in several paintings and [works of] classical architecture.” The juxtaposition of natural and man-made elements illustrates the balance of these two entities that exists in the world around us, especially in urban areas.
The artist’s biography states that in 2001, Etnik began to evolve from writing, developing his style in this direction that portrays man-made and natural elements alongside each other while still maintaining his graffiti roots. Through “different media from studio painting, to murals or sculpture and installation,” the artist strives “to represent and criticize the city, and paint the urban volumes as an abstract composition.” To this day, he “[travels] a lot for mural paintings and gallery shows.”
Through its work establishing interventions throughout Spain, has created “an open-air art gallery, one which changes each month. With locations in L’Hospitalet, Barcelona and Sant Feliu de Llobregat.” Contorno Urbano states that their mission “is to study, promote and preserve urban art as well as accelerate it in society through actions of urban creativity.” This mission resonates with their belief that “urban creativity is a new model of union between art and the city, where the work adapts to the needs of space and people in an integral and organic way.” Their new project presents “a unique vision which challenges the way we exhibit urban art, and the place of these artworks in the city.”
Etnik: website | facebook | instagram
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