If you've been walking the streets lately Paris, no matter if in the district La Marais, in Montmartre or in13th District, you may have seen graffiti on electrical boxes and city walls. Parisian graffiti culture is alive and kicking, and in the following article I am going to reveal to you a small but important part of it! Faces peeking out from city walls are a common thing in Paris! You may sometimes recognize a famous historical figure to people who are an enigma, the artist who creates these amazing portraits is C215, one of the most famous and oldest French street artists in Paris!
C215 communicates with his daughter through graffiti
Who is the artist? C215 or his real name is Christian Goumi started spraying on the street in 2005 and is a very talented “stencil artist”. Goumi grew up on the streets of Paris and experienced a difficult childhood, which influences his works to this day, he chooses to paint people who tell the story of the street, lost children, boys in love on a bench, homeless people and street cats. He is very connected to simplicity and yet great depth in his works, to this day.
How did he start creating on the street? Guami says that after his divorce, he couldn't meet his daughter Nina, then a little girl, and out of longing and love for her, he began to spray-paint stencils of her face on her way to school. This was how he hinted to her - I'm here, I love you and miss you, and most importantly - I'm watching over you from afar!
Today, Nina Beitou has become a stencil artist herself, and Goumi is one of the most well-known street artists in France. In the 13th arrondissement of Paris, there are several works by the artist, where he combines his stencil technique, which has now evolved into the giant stencils he works with, with the world of subversive graffiti. Goumi has works all over the world - Europe, Africa, even in Israel! About a decade ago, the artist visited here and scattered many of his works, mainly in Tel Aviv, and they have a special connection to the streets and our culture!
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What does 'stencil' mean? Guami is a 'stencil artist' which means he does all the hard work in his studio, he cuts out by hand or with the help of a special printer a stencil, which is sometimes very complex and has several layers (especially when he creates cat hairs), the next step is to take the stencil with you and find the ideal position for it! The advantage of working with stencils - spraying becomes a quick part of the work process and you can do it very quickly and run away! In Tel Aviv and especially in the Florentine neighborhood you can find many stencils scattered around, small or large, sometimes with simple and witty text or messages, and sometimes with faces and figures.
So how do you recognize C215’s works? Guamy is an artist who, although he currently exhibits in exhibitions and makes money from his art, does not forget that he started out on the street illegally, which is why sometimes he signs and sometimes he doesn’t! Because Guamy likes to leave his audience in doubt and mystery. There’s an interesting saying in this, on the one hand he collaborates with wealthy people and “sells” his art, and on the other hand he still paints on the street and “kicks” the laws and the establishment.
Guamy's signature is in the shape of a cube, with his name actually written on the sides of the cube. Those in the know will begin to recognize his style after a while - his signature in the shape of a cube creates his name and he is characterized by a colorful, very humanistic and emotional style. He almost always creates moving human portraits, or a strong animal, usually from the feline family.
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This is just a small part of the rich street art that Paris, the city that has Museums Luxurious alongside exciting and intriguing street art.