Au Japon, le street art obtient enfin droit de cité
Yodokabe æ·ćŁ
Mural painted by ăăăă [BAKIBAKI], artist and founder of YODOKABE, a murals’ festival he runs with WALL SHARE in Japan.
IG: @bakibaking ; @yodokabe
â Au Japon, le street art obtient enfin droit de citĂ©
| The mural that illustrates this article, which I read carefully a few years ago, led me to explore the Japanese art scene today ~ KIKKAKE?
ă·ăŒă”ăŒ ShÄ«sÄ, Okinawa
WRAP UP' Festival in Okinawa
Okinawaâs symbol ShÄ«sÄ inspired some artists invited at WRAP UP’ Festival this year. Here is one mural painted by the sisters HAMADARAKA (Emu Arizono /Eru Arizono).
Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost prefecture of Japan in between Japan’s main islands and Taiwan. The archipelago has a distinct culture from Japan called champuru, a fusion of different Southeast Asian cultures, United-states’ influence, and heritages as former and independant RyĆ«kyĆ« Kingdom.
ShÄ«sÄ are Okinawaâs iconic lion-dog guardians, believed to ward off evil, a mythical protectors and powerful symbol of Okinawan identity and spiritual culture.
WRAP UP OKINAWA 2025 Produced by WALL SHARE Inc.
Location: Koza Ginza Arcade, Teruya, Okinawa City ă904-0011Â Okinawa, Japan
Behind the Graffiti: Stinkfish Speaks
tropical wildstyle graffiti
tropical wildstyle graffiti
On this recent interview with Stinkfish as part of a selection of unique artworks currently featured, the artist shared some of his insights, process of creation and his view on the evolving graffiti scene in Latin America and beyond.
tropical wildstyle graffiti
tropical wildstyle graffiti
On this recent interview with Stinkfish as part of a selection of unique artworks currently featured, the artist shared some of his insights, process of creation and his view on the evolving graffiti scene in Latin America and beyond.
tropical wildstyle graffiti
tropical wildstyle graffiti
On this recent interview with Stinkfish as part of a selection of unique artworks currently featured, the artist shared some of his insights, process of creation and his view on the evolving graffiti scene in Latin America and beyond.
Wandering the streets of BogotĂĄ a decade ago, I began spotting the colossal and colorful murals of Stinkfish. His distinctive style, often described as a fusion of contemporary culture and ancient traditions, has been defined by the artist himself as âa blend of photography, tropical wildstyle graffiti, and stencils.â
Stinkfishâs signature spray-painted stencils come alive through bold color fields and intricate freehand detailing. His works spotlight anonymous passersby and local residents, transformed into vibrant portraits.
01. Anonymous passersby
Stinkfish My portraits explore how public spaces reflect social inequality, where visibility in public spaces often belongs to those who can afford it. My selection of photographs is guided by a commitment to anonymity and equality. Itâs also important to me that the photos are unposed, taken from a respectful distance, and feature people I donât know, capturing everyday moments where expressions arenât forced or conditioned. These photographs will become my candid portraits to take into public spaces, on the street which can be a space open to the representation of everyone.
ES « Mi trabajo con retratos tiene que ver con el espacio pĂșblico, con las maneras de representanciĂłn en la calle, donde por lo general las personas que figuran son aquellas que pagan por estar allĂ. La elecciĂłn de las fotografĂas en mi trabajo estĂĄ atravezada por el anonimato y la igualdad, todos podemos estar representados en este espacio, la calle. Y en una segunda instancia es importante que sean fotos sin pose, donde el momento sea real y cotidiano, donde la expression no estĂ© condicionada. Geralmente son fotografĂas tomadas en la calle, en lugares pĂșblicos, a una distancia prudente, y de personas que no conozco. »
Born in the megalopolis of Mexico City, also known for its gigantic urban art and graffiti scene. Stinkfish grew up from the age of four in BogotĂĄ (Colombia), a place where he built his life, his art, friendships, and various projects. This typical Latin American capital, which he describes as a fairly large cityâchaotic at times, aggressive at othersâis his home, a place where he finds time to organize ideas, rest, and disappear from time to time.
Chiriyacu â Quito, Ecuador | the Detonarte festival â December 2015 (Based on a photograph taken in Oaxaca, Mexico // october 2014)
On his blog, Stinkfish shares various insights, including one in which he discusses Decree 075âa regulation on graffiti issued by the BogotĂĄ district in 2013. In this article, the artist reflects on how troubling it is that the collective imagination surrounding graffiti can be reshaped, erasing its roots as a form of escape from the grip of institutions and consumer culture in its early days.
Practically speaking, the experience of graffiti remains unchanged. For Stinkfish, it continues to serve as a tool for critical awarenessâfor questioning our reality, institutions, laws, and the collective life we all share.
*[Mention: “LA CIUDAD QUE FALLA / Apuntes sobre Graffiti en BogotĂĄ”, LA CIUDAD QUE FALLA / Apuntes sobre Graffiti en BogotĂĄ â stinkfish.024 / Ediciones Hogar (wordpress.com)]
With each mural, Stinkfish captures flickers of humanity behind the eyes of everyday people across the globe. Though he is sometimes labeled an âartist-anarchist,â his work moves beyond rebellion, rooted instead in a nuanced exploration of society, questioning our reality, and place.
02. How do you feel to be sometimes labelled as an ‘artist-anarchist’?
Stinkfish I don’t like labels; they fall short and oversimplify peopleâthey ignore the complexity of thoughts, experiences, and identities each of us holds. I believe that graffiti, beyond being an artistic movement, itâs a tool for building critical awareness of the world we live in. From there, I aim to keep consistency across my work, ideas, relationships, and opinions.
ES « No me gustan las etiquetas, se quedan cortas al momento de afrontar la realidad, somos muchos en uno mismo. Creo que que el graffiti mĂĄs allĂĄ de un movimiento artĂstico es una herramienta para construir una posiciĂłn crĂtica frente al mundo en el que vivimos, desde ahĂ intento ser congruente con mi trabajo, con mis ideas, con mis relaciones, con mis opiniones. »
Beijing (Pekin), China | August 2015 | Collaboration with Robbbb (Based ona photo taken at the airport El Dorado // Bogota // Colombia // April 2014)
03. Graffiti connections.
Stinkfish I got my start with some friends in the legendary Excusado Printsystem crew, while developing my own practice. Iâm now part of the Animal Power Culture (APC) crew and also involved in the Instituto Bogotano de Corte (IBDC) project. Iâve always enjoyed wandering the streetsâgetting lost, discovering new places, and observing the cityâs chaotic rhythms. Graffiti is all about wandering. Once I got to know graffiti up close, I knew it was the path I wanted to followâone that would allow me to understand the world in a sincere way. There isnât a grand story behind my pseudonym. During my teenage years, ska, punk, and hardcore musics were a part of my daily life, and I believe that was the main influence behind choosing the name Stinkfish.
ES « Siempre me ha gustado la calle, caminar, perderme y conocer nuevos lugares, observar como funciona el caos de las ciudades. Y el graffiti es eso: caminar. Una vez conocĂ el graffiti de cerca supe que era el camino que querĂa tomar, que me permitirĂa entender el mundo de una manera sincera. No hay una gran historia detrĂĄs de mi seudĂłnimo, cuando cruzaba la adolescencia el ska, el punk, el hardcore haciĂĄn parte de mi dĂa a dĂa, creo que esa fue la principal influencia al momento de hacerme llamar Stinkfish. ArranquĂ© con un grupo de amigos, con el legendario grupo Excusado Printsystem, pero tambiĂ©n haciendo mi trabajo individual de manera muy intensa. Ahora hago parte del crew Animal Power Culture (APC) y tambiĂ©n del Proyecto Instituto Bogotano de Corte (IBDC). »
BogotĂĄ, Colombia | May 2018 | Collaboration with Zasinha @thegruffwriting
Colombia-based street artist Stinkfish gained international recognition for his colorful and large-scale murals. His work spans continents, appearing on walls across Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Guatemala, Spain, Germany, the UK, France, Holland, the USA, Austria, Nepal, China, and beyond.
Navajo Nation - Arizona, USA | Read more
Printed art form dates back to the very beginnings of humankind
Japanese Prints: Shin-hanga and Sosaku-hanga
If printmaking had the ability to express itself, it would be an open book, sharing its stories for hours on end, for this art form dates back to the very beginnings of humankind. The diversity and vitality of printmaking can be seen in its constantly renewed aesthetic. In Japan after ukiyo-e, came shin-hanga and sosaku-hanga.
Learn more: Japanese Prints : New Wave
| Article published a few years ago on BeauxArts magazine
Supporting the brave photojournalists in Gaza
Dozens of artists have joined the worldwide street art movement known as Unmute Gaza, which is harnessing creativity and community to call attention to the situation in Palestine.
Breaking the silence | Supporting the brave photojournalists in Gaza
Print and Paste. On the streets. đïž
â website www.unmutegaza.com and on social media @unmutegaza
Public joined the movement to by (freely) downloading the PDF prints and pasting them around the world.
“UNMUTE GAZA has shut down the Guggenheim in New York and covered streets across 21 countries, 31 cities and counting. American artist Shepard Fairey join their international roster of visual artists, creating posters for the public to print and paste worldwide.”
www.amnesty.org ;Â brooklynstreetart.com ;Â thisiscolossal.com
5th edition of MTL connecte built around collective intelligence
MTL Connecte 2023
Collectible-Printsâ founder was invited at MTL connecte 2023 with a French delegation of young professionals in digital culture and creativity with the support of the Office franco-quĂ©bĂ©cois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ) & La RĂ©gion Auvergne-RhĂŽne-Alpes.
The 5th edition of MTL connecte was built around collective intelligence, with a focus on Culture and Creativity: How can collaboration between governments, businesses and organizations provide more equitable access to culture and digital creativity? What will be the place of creators and creative industries in a world where works and content can now be generated by AI? What are the ways in which digital technology can enhance the influence of culture and heritage?
Meetings, conferences, workshops & inspiring discoveries!
