Street Art in Bordeaux
Do you live in Bordeaux or are you simply a street art enthusiast? Are you curious to discover the city's most iconic works? This article is for you! As passionate urban art lovers, we couldn't help but be drawn to Bordeaux, a leading city for street artists . Thanks to our research, we can now reveal the beauty of this city, with its art and paintings.
Nicknamed the City of History, Bordeaux is a place that artists particularly love. Banksy, Alber… Numerous painters and street artists have already left their mark on this picturesque city. Certain spaces have even been dedicated to them, allowing them to freely express their talent. This is precisely what we will share with you in this article. You will discover some of the city's iconic works, such as:
- David Selor's Mimil
- Between dream and reality by Delphine Delas
- Little Girl with Balloon by Banksy
- The Nerone and Epis metro paradise mural
- Philippe Poulet's cheerful chick
- Alber's explosion of colors
- Bee happy by Fred Rush Collins
By the end of this article, you will know more about the various artworks that adorn the city of Bordeaux, as well as their meanings. Let's begin our virtual tour without further ado...
1) David Selor's Mimil
For the past five years, David Selor's Mimils have invaded the streets of Bordeaux. There are at least a hundred of them, scattered on every street corner. But what exactly are they? And what is the hidden message behind these works?
Mimil is a rather original character created by the artist David Selor . He's called Mimil because he's half-wolf, half-fox, in a man's body. He's recognizable by his lanky, slender build. He often wears a blue and white striped T-shirt and trousers that are sometimes blue, sometimes burgundy (like the city).
Mimil was inspired by David's trip to Portugal . There, he met autistic people with deeply moving perspectives on life. He then decided to create a character that was half-animal, half-human, to illustrate human behavior and convey messages that aren't always easy to grasp.
In an interview, David even pointed out that people tend to have different opinions about his creations. Some see poetry in them, he says, while others interpret them as provocation. In any case, he is keen to address topics as broad as possible, ranging from sex, dyslexia, and love to gender issues.
Mimil's popularity has steadily grown in recent years, to the point that we now have what are known as "Mimil hunters." These individuals travel from all over to track down new Mimils in Bordeaux , then photograph them and compare them with those of their friends. A game based on this world has even been organized by fans of this street art.
2) Between dream and reality by Delphine Delas
Are you familiar with Delphine Delas? This Bordeaux-based artist stands out for her simplicity, gentleness, and femininity. This grace is even felt in her artwork: a blend of dream and reality. These are beautiful , arabesque-style frescoes, created primarily with white lines against a colored background. They often depict sinuous illustrations, drawing inspiration from mythology, literature, ancient civilizations , and more. These paintings also reflect the world of imagination, hence the title. In fact, by creating these works, Delphine Delas hopes to illuminate us in a completely different, more serene universe, lulling us into a dreamlike state. A stroll through these streets is truly worthwhile to admire her majestic work.
Among Delphine's most beautiful works is the Palimpsest Landscape . With this piece, the artist seeks to evoke the landscape of the past, contrasting it with that of the present. She aims to illustrate the evolution of nature from ancient times to the present day. For her, the landscape is like a palimpsest. Although it evolves, vestiges of the past always remain, refusing to disappear.
3) Little girl with balloon by Banksy
Banksy is undoubtedly one of the most famous street artists on the planet. Although his identity remains unknown, his works have transcended borders thanks to their originality and uniqueness . And he continues to dazzle art lovers with his work "Girl with Balloon." This piece depicts a young girl in a yellow and black dress holding a rather ungainly red balloon. While the authenticity of the work is still unconfirmed, it remains a favorite among art enthusiasts. It might even have hidden connotations. The fact that the girl wears a yellow dress (and not black, as in the original in London) could be related to the Yellow Vest movement. Moreover, we know that Banksy never creates a stencil by chance. In any case, he's a street artist who is definitely worth discovering.
4) The Nerone and Epis metro paradise mural
Life isn't always easy. So, to change things, why not bring a little light into our daily lives? This is precisely the challenge that artists Nerone and Epis took on in 2017. They created a mural covering an area of 700 m² in just two weeks... This project was initiated as part of the Paysages Bordeaux event in 2017 and was specifically commissioned by the city authorities.
Located on Rue de Saint-Nicolas and Rue des Sablières, the "Paradise Metro" mural is composed of several drawings reminiscent of an imaginary world: a distant galaxy, a fishtram, a flower marsh … In short, this mural leaves free rein to the imagination and creativity. Moreover, primary school students from the Deyries school assisted the two artists during the creation of the mural.
The Metro Paradise mural is a very colorful painting. Nerone and Epis specifically wanted to bring joy and happiness by creating it. They want to convey a message of positivity to all passersby on this street.
5) Philippe Poulet's cheerful chick
The joy continues with Philippe Poulet's artwork, entitled "The Happy Chick." As the name suggests, it's a painting of a small chick with a comb, who always looks very happy. Just like in real life, the chick is colored yellow. But it also evokes a message of warmth, cheerfulness, and happiness.
Through his work, Philippe Poulet aims to perpetuate optimism , joy, and fun in the city. According to him, one should never lose their childlike spirit, even as an adult. He doesn't hesitate to create numerous collections on every street corner to spread this positivity. Several versions of the character then appear: sometimes he's holding a lollipop, sometimes he's mowing the lawn…
The question is: where did his inspiration come from? Philippe explains that initially, the chicken wasn't what he intended to create. At first, he mainly wanted to imitate the great street artists of the 90s with their chrome paints. However, these works attracted the attention of the police. Being arrested, he was forced to end his career. Several years later, he discovered modern street art and decided to create a funny, plump, and naive character. He initially designed a penguin. However, a friend pointed out that it looked more like a chicken than a penguin, and thus, the character was born.
6) Alber's explosion of colors
Alber is a painter from Bordeaux , born in 1986. He began doing street art at the age of 15. Later, he decided to create his own style and characters. He retains some elements of traditional graffiti, such as lines and shapes, while transforming them into figures. With his spray can, he creates his emblematic character: the face of a man or woman with a penetrating gaze (with blue eyes) and heavy eyelids. Sometimes it is shown from the front, sometimes in profile, or in three-quarter view.
Alber's character is very colorful, hence the title of his work "The Explosion of Colors". He is seen with a multitude of shades ranging from pink, blue, green, and even yellow.
7) Bee happy by Fred Rush Collins
What better way to end this article than with Fred Rush Collins' artwork: Bee Happy! It's a depiction of a small yellow and black bee that emits kind and positive messages. You can find them all over the streets of Bordeaux, especially in places that might seem overwhelming, like the hospital.
As for the message the artist seeks to convey, it is very clear: "be happy!"
By reading this article, you've discovered some of Bordeaux's most iconic works of art. Now all that's left is for you to visit them and fully appreciate their beauty.
While you're at it, don't hesitate to take a look at our flagship collection: Street Art ! We are wall decoration professionals and we have no doubt you'll find something you love among our high-quality printed canvases.
To thank you for making it this far, enjoy a 15% discount on your order today with the promo code: BLOG15 .
See you soon.
The Lofty Trend Team.
