The last time we at Live in Italy Mag talked about Italian street artists, we touched a little bit upon the history of the art form itself and how it got to the Apennine Peninsula. In this article, we continue that wonderful journey and list even more amazing Italian street artists.
These talented individuals work in a variety of mediums in a number of styles. They are well-known in Italy and abroad, particularly on the graffiti and urban art scene, and they are well worth a follow on social media as well. Enjoy!
Vesod
Born in Turin in 1981 to a surrealist painter, the Italian artist Vesod has been creating mesmerizing, multilayered murals around the world for many years now. His work can be described in a somewhat contradictory way, as it is both figurative and abstract, calming yet intense, simple in color yet interpretative on so many levels. Vesod depicts dreamlike worlds that mix anatomic drawings with geometric forms while skillfully playing with intersectionality and transparency. In their bizarre complexity, Vest’s art sometimes calls to mind that of Salvador Dalí, offering countless possibilities to the viewer’s perception.
2501
I wrote about the art of 2501, aka Never, aka Jacopo Ceccarelli, only recently. I’ll say it again: there is something to calming, so hypnotic about his artworks. It truly is a craft to make black-and-white lines organically converse with one another in any which media, on any which surface. Another writer described 2501’s work as “sharp and elegant” and I completely concur, still honestly quite a bit amazed by how sometimes something a gesture so small and simple can be so powerful and engaging – like in the example below.
Bifido
While researching Bifido, I came across a biography he himself wrote, I assume – it surely sounds like something a literature student such as him could write. It reads: “The street photo, as with all art made in public space, is a deviation in people’s lives, an accident that interrupts the everydayness of the gaze by imposing a change in perspective.” This pretty much explains the essence of Bifido’s art, who draws from topics like capitalism, war, and childhood to create poignant paste-up photos. His is a portrait of humanity, a reminder of it, a love letter to it, just when we all need it most.
Gio Pistone
One could perhaps say that Gio Pistone‘s art career started when she was a child. Her mother encouraged her to draw the nightmares she would frequently have. When you look at her art now, it makes perfect sense: magical, monster-like characters, animalistic humans and humanoid animals, popping colors and bold styles. For Gio Pistone, art is a meditative process taking place in solitary places, where physical world is transformed and an imaginary one is born. And just like dreams, these artworks are what we, the observers, make of them – Gio Pistone only offers an incentive.
Vera Bugatti
Born in Brescia in 1979, Vera Bugatti graduated in Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Parma. With that sort of background, she proceeded to make art – not just any art, but anamorphic, 3D sidewalk painting. Vera Bugatti’s portraiture pops out of everywhere; as one of world’s most prolific street artists, she has painted in many, many countries. Her art reflects our life on this planet and social issues, through a variety of mediums. The detail in her work is simply incredible, each portrait better than the last!
Tellas
Tellas is an artist hailing from the beautiful island of Sardinia, whose landscapes inform his wonderful abstractions. What we see in his works are endless patterns of vegetation, natural landscapes and elements, soothing color gradients. Although Tellas works in a variety of techniques, it is perhaps his murals that are most breathtaking. These all-encompassing organic paintings bring a place a solace to an urban setting. His are the untouched island landscapes breaking through the cold concrete.
Biancoshock
If you like Banksy’s style, you’ll definitely like Biancoshock. This Italian street artist likes to work incognito, but we know he is Milanese and born in 1982. He speaks the language of irony, sarcasm and humor, You can label him as a provocateur or an instigator of reaction. Biancoshock’s art, or experiences, as he likes to call them, disappear almost as fast as they appear, but are forever preserved and immortalized in images and videos. It is inspired by Western pop culture, politics, current trends and brands, as well as social media, among others.
Moneyless
One of abstract art movement’s main mottos is “Less is more”. The Italian artist Teo Pirisi, aka Moneyless, took that motto seriously for his own art. Born in 1980 in Milan, he’s been painting since he was three years old. His moniker can help describe his art – very minimalistic, done with minimum expense, if you will. Moneyless’s aim is to strip art down to its essence. His are the simple geometric forms, concentric circles, flat yet three-dimensional, still yet kinetic, calm yet holding a certain kind of tension.
