Street Art
Whether oversized colorful murals, stick figures sprayed in a matter of moments, or graffiti: street art belongs to the genre of contemporary art. It changes the cityscape and is also a popular subject for photos. For this reason, street art artists in Zurich are increasingly being commissioned to create so-called “Art on Buildings”. However, this was not always the case, as the first “sprayer of Zurich”, Harald Naegeli, would certainly confirm. He paved the way for the street artists of today.
Harald Naegeli
The Original Sprayer of Zurich
At the end of the 1970s, Naegeli began to brighten up Zurich’s – in his eyes – dull, concrete facades with stick figures. As a result of his cat-and-mouse game with the police, he became known worldwide as the “Sprayer of Zurich”. While his first stick figures were removed, today they are considered important works of art and the city is proud of its rebel artist.
Patrick REDL Wehrli
The Local Hero
REDL has been working in Zurich for 30 years – and, like many artists in his line of work, not always legally. In 2014, he was commissioned to adorn the converted properties on Neugasse with an eye-catching mural. Since then, strong charactered girls such as “Melody” on Escher-Wyss-Platz and “Lucia” on Forchstrasse have been added to his portfolio. And at the Hotel FIVE Zurich, the images of Freddie Mercury, Rihanna, Grace Jones, and Elton John, spray-painted by REDL, greet guests in the foyer.
One Truth Bros
The Brothers
An unbeatable team: Brothers Pase (born in 1981) and Dr.Drax (born in 1983) have been creating street art since 1996 and are now represented in collections worldwide. In Zurich, their artworks can be admired on Bucheggplatz, in Wiedikon and in Oerlikon. Their visual language is highly recognizable and very popular: the One Truth brothers have executed commissions for multinational companies, as well as the 2012 Olympic Games in London and Expo Milano 2015, and produced countless murals all over the world.
TIKA
The Figurative Artist
Maja Hürst, also known as TIKA, studied Visual Communication at the Zurich University of the Arts. She has been implementing street art projects in public spaces since 1998. These include murals (in Zurich, for example, the wolf at the Am Damm bar or the peacock at the Hive nightclub), which mostly depict geometrical abstract images of animals. These are reminiscent of South American totems or representations from Indian mythology.
Oibel1
The Colorful Artist
Samora Bazarrabusa is a native of Zurich through and through. Born and raised in the city, he started out as a sprayer over 20 years ago and now works as a visual artist using various media. Oibel’s artworks are characterized by strong lines and bright, vivid colors, which have an emotional impact on the viewer. With his art, Oibel aims to spark positivity and constructive but also critical thought about one’s self and the environment.
Cup of Color
The Inspirers of Hope
With its large-scale works of art, the NGO, Cup of Color, conveys hope for change worldwide. Together with communities in Myanmar, Chad, and Romania, to name but a few, Cup of Color artists paint huge murals on location. This collaborative creation process enables people to express themselves, rediscover their voice, and uplift each other.
