Five South African street artists you need to know
Aesthetics meet activism.
[A]s documented in the short film Street Art Stories: Jo’burg, the apartheid struggles had a direct effect on the development of South African street art. By 2017, writer and street culture expert King ADZ found the scene in a pivotal position: street art from the rest of the world has influenced what’s going up on the walls, but the core values of resistance remain firmly in effect. Public art remains one of the most visceral, accessible media for making a political impact through art, and South Africa’s contemporary street artists are finding a balance between aesthetics and activism. Here are five members of the scene you need to know.
Faith 47 – @FAITH47
The most prolific and travelled South African street artist (currently painting a wall somewhere) on the planet right now. Faith’s work is continually developing in front of our very eyes and in public, which gives her work an openness and warmth that art born out of galleries always lacks.
Jack Fox – @THEJACKFOX
In the street art timeline, Jack is the new kid on the block, and you can see how he has been influenced by both Faith 47 and Italy’s Blu. His monochromatic characters breath life and drama into the urban streets they tower above.
Falko One – @FALKO1GRAFFITI
A proper old school master who is still relevant and still getting up strong after 30 years of street shit. His ‘Split Pieces’ series is an urban masterpiece — a collection of seemingly disparate murals that come to life and reveal the bigger picture (literally) when combined digitally.
Robin Rhode
Originally from the notorious Cape Flats, Robin is an artist who creates animated street interactions (often created with just a stick of chalk) that bridge the gap between the worlds of street art and fine art, that then live their own life online as video art.
Nardstar -@NARD_STAR
Her street art take with a twist of cubism can only be a good thing for the overall aesthetic of art on walls across South Africa. Another ‘lightie’ who will surely be around for quite some time.
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