TROPICAL CATS

75 x 55 cm
Acrylique et technique mixte sur papier
Œuvre encadrée
 
Alberto Vejarano, known as CHANOIR, is a French-Colombian artist born in 1976 in Bogotá. Internationally renowned, he is famous for the energy and optimism in his graffiti. CHANOIR works with a universal visual language, based on the belief that art and artists are agents of positive change.

In the mid-1990s, influenced by pioneering artists like Keith Haring and the Parisian André, he decided to use spray cans as a means of expression. CHANOIR's work, born from the fusion of Pop Art and Figuration Libre, draws upon art history knowledge and is nourished by popular humor, childhood memories, and a sense of contemporary aesthetics. He develops a graphic style characterized by bold colors, flat planes, and simplified and immediate figures, which are reminiscent of both logos and tags.

Being a cat lover, CHANOIR chose his name by referring to Steinlen's poster, "Le Cabaret du Chat Noir." His cat logos, drawn spontaneously, constantly change shapes. Naïve yet always expressive, they communicate their emotions to passersby, reflecting the artist's feelings. A relationship is established with the public. His father, Gustavo Vejarano, a Colombian artist with esoteric beliefs, transmits his beliefs about subtle realms. Thus, for CHANOIR, art is a transmission of energy from mind to mind, aiming to entertain and engage the viewer by creating art for all.

Since the beginning, he has continuously questioned the graphic boundaries between graffiti, street art, logos, and tags. Over the years, he has integrated the Kawaii and cartoon aesthetics into the post-graffiti universe, similar to current emojis. While he is fueled by the vitality of Latin and South American cultures, it was in the streets of the 19th arrondissement of Paris where CHANOIR began his artistic career, creating his first CHA. And it is still the street that attracts him. For its freedom, independence, expressive power, and the people who populate it. The street is constantly disguising and transforming itself, just like Alberto's CHA. Over the years, CHANOIR has expanded his energy into performance, installation, photography, design, collections, and video art.
 
#streetart #chanoir #tag #streetartparis