Even Before Banksy’s renowned documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop, the topic of street art was one of major controversy. But, painting buildings is no longer something done exclusively in the shadows by angsty teens with a spray paint fetish. Whether you consider graffiti to be street art, or street art to be graffiti, you have to admit that some of it can be quite lovely. Where once there were blank walls there are now giant murals bringing color to otherwise drab corners of urban landscapes. And if it means more color, we’re into it. Check out some of the best street artists on Instagram so you can follow their work around the world!
1. @hanksynyc: His street name being a knock-off of the famous Banksy is no accident. Hanksy’s work is forever the art pun and parody. He pokes fun at celebs, often by putting their heads on foreign objects.
2. @taylurk: Taylor White is one of the few ladies in the world of street art and her work makes a stand-alone statement. She’s based in North Carolina and paints up jaw-dropping portraits, mostly of kids.
3. @houseofmeggs: Meggs’s murals are full of movement and spontaneity. His splashes and drips of paint throughout his work really give it a ton of energy.
4. @tristaneaton: If you took beautiful works of art, ripped them apart, and put them back together again, they’d look something like Tristan’s murals. It’s a painted collage!
5. @osgemeos: These two Brazilian artists have created a world of fun, colorful characters that make them one of our favorite finds. These cartoon people painted on giant towers for the Vancouver Biennale look like they’re straight out of a dream!
6. @gaiastreetart: Gaia’s work is diverse and full of surprises. He’s done murals in NYC and Baltimore and his work ranges from hyperrealism to abstract shapes.
7. @escif: This Spanish artist has a knack for recreating real objects with sense of humor. His paintings are similar enough that you have to do a double take to see if it’s an object or art.
8. @official_morley: Morely’s typographic posters splashed throughout LA are bold statements both in what they say and how they look.
9. @dabsmyla: DABS bring life to the otherwise inanimate and makes them into super fun patterns.
10. @samrodriguezart: Sam’s latest work is an ongoing series cleverly titled, “Typefaces.” His use of bright color is exquisite and we love how easily his work flows from flat graphics to lifelike depth.
11. @huskmitnavn1: The work of this Copenhagen-based artist reminds us of vintage cartoons. His figures are flat and delightfully exaggerated. Not to mention, cleverly placed.
12. @r_o_n_e: Rone‘s subjects are usually lovely ladies, most often one dubbed Jane Doe. You can find her on the sides of building all around Melbourne Australia.
13. @finok: Raphael Sagarra aka Finok works out of South America. His subjects are bubbly and bold like cartoons, but they usually have a metaphorical message.
14. @judithsupine: This artist fancies surreal collage in the 2D and 3D form. On the streets, her work is punchy with neons and intricate line work.
15. @cleonpeterson: Cleon is an LA-based artist whose work focuses on the human form. His murals look like modern-day hieroglyphs.
16. @daleast: The work of DAleast will really take your breath away. Most of the artist’s murals are representations of animals in nature. His style is to paint them as if they’re made of strips of wood, and it’s kind of epic.
17. @jules_latlas: This French artist fancies line work. His pieces focus on bold lines with stark contrast, creating hypnotic optical illusions. You can see his work in galleries and on the street.
18. @wellingcourtmuralproject: Put on a by a NYC group called Ad Hoc Art, this is a neighborhood effort to cover the walls of the Queens neighborhood of Welling Court in art!
19. @banksy: We’re hesititant to believe that the most famously enigmatic street artist in the world has an Instagram account… but he is full of surprises. In any case, this Insta feed is a great representation of Banky’s growing body of work.
Who are some of your street artist faves? Lets us know in the comments!
