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Sonntag, 31. Juli 2022

Belarusian Artist Gleb Kashtanov Creates Mural as Testament to the History of the Republic

Belarusian artist Gleb Kashtanov recently created a spectacularly symbolic mural “The Origins” in Polatsk, Belarus, a place known as the center of the ancient Belarusian statehood. The commanding symbol of a great sword growing into the soil is depicted on the front of a nine-story building. The sword has a three-dimensional feel, as roots and blossoms flow and swirl around it.

The mural was developed via the project ”Traditions for the Future,” which is sponsored by Belarusbank and Urban Myths, a street art team. The project is a series of motivating murals in Belarusian cities and towns that reflect the values of entrepreneurship and personal initiative through the prism of Belarusian legends and history.

“I was honored to be invited to create a mural for Polatsk that embodies this spirit and pays tribute to the rich history of the city,” said Kastanov.“I hope the mural tells the story of our strength and perseverance through powerful images and commanding representations of ancient artifacts.” 

Kashtanov came up with the idea of the mural during a dream, with the final composition developed in collaboration with local historians. 

A 10th century Viking sword is the key element of the picture. The relic is kept in the local museum and features a unique stamping “VLFBERHT” made by a European craftsman. The stamping signifies the integration of an ancient nation into European economic processes.The historians helped to reconstruct the sword for the mural’s creation.

Interestingly, the primary marking for the wall uses the quote from the ancient Russian annals, the Primary Chronicles, where Polatsk (Polotesk) was first mentioned in 862 AD. According the author, there are three basic components of the creation’s composition:
A sword in the soil: Symbolizes the beginning of statehood and peaceful development.
A trade road river: Symbolizes economic growth and prosperity of the ancient Belarusian statehood.
The Cathedral of Holy Wisdom: Symbolizes spiritual fundamentals. The oldest church in Belarus. Ancient Belarusians treated the church as a symbol of independence from other population centers of the ancient Vikings, also called the ancient Rus.
The fourth component, the personalities area is reflected in the tree roots, which display the faces of significant brave and adventurous Belarusian personalities who сontributed to the rich history of the country. 

The mural is located at Doilid Ioann str. in the heart of Polatsk’s ancient district.

About the Project

The monumental mural “The Origins” is a part of the ambitious art project “Traditions for the Future.” The project is a series of motivating murals in Belarusian cities and towns that reflect the values of entrepreneurship and personal initiative through the prism of Belarusian legends and history. The project is being implemented by Belarusbank and the street art team Urban Myths.


Gleb Kashtanov: website | facebook | instagram
Signal Project: website | facebook 

The post Belarusian Artist Gleb Kashtanov Creates Mural as Testament to the History of the Republic first appeared on street art united states.
by Kat Kennedy via street art united states

Belarusian Artist Gleb Kashtanov Creates Mural as Testament to the History of the Republic

Belarusian artist Gleb Kashtanov recently created a spectacularly symbolic mural “The Origins” in Polatsk, Belarus, a place known as the center of the ancient Belarusian statehood. The commanding symbol of a great sword growing into the soil is depicted on the front of a nine-story building. The sword has a three-dimensional feel, as roots and blossoms flow and swirl around it.

The mural was developed via the project ”Traditions for the Future,” which is sponsored by Belarusbank and Urban Myths, a street art team. The project is a series of motivating murals in Belarusian cities and towns that reflect the values of entrepreneurship and personal initiative through the prism of Belarusian legends and history.

“I was honored to be invited to create a mural for Polatsk that embodies this spirit and pays tribute to the rich history of the city,” said Kastanov.“I hope the mural tells the story of our strength and perseverance through powerful images and commanding representations of ancient artifacts.” 

Kashtanov came up with the idea of the mural during a dream, with the final composition developed in collaboration with local historians. 

A 10th century Viking sword is the key element of the picture. The relic is kept in the local museum and features a unique stamping “VLFBERHT” made by a European craftsman. The stamping signifies the integration of an ancient nation into European economic processes.The historians helped to reconstruct the sword for the mural’s creation.

Interestingly, the primary marking for the wall uses the quote from the ancient Russian annals, the Primary Chronicles, where Polatsk (Polotesk) was first mentioned in 862 AD. According the author, there are three basic components of the creation’s composition:
A sword in the soil: Symbolizes the beginning of statehood and peaceful development.
A trade road river: Symbolizes economic growth and prosperity of the ancient Belarusian statehood.
The Cathedral of Holy Wisdom: Symbolizes spiritual fundamentals. The oldest church in Belarus. Ancient Belarusians treated the church as a symbol of independence from other population centers of the ancient Vikings, also called the ancient Rus.
The fourth component, the personalities area is reflected in the tree roots, which display the faces of significant brave and adventurous Belarusian personalities who сontributed to the rich history of the country. 

The mural is located at Doilid Ioann str. in the heart of Polatsk’s ancient district.

About the Project

The monumental mural “The Origins” is a part of the ambitious art project “Traditions for the Future.” The project is a series of motivating murals in Belarusian cities and towns that reflect the values of entrepreneurship and personal initiative through the prism of Belarusian legends and history. The project is being implemented by Belarusbank and the street art team Urban Myths.


Gleb Kashtanov: website | facebook | instagram
Signal Project: website | facebook 

The post Belarusian Artist Gleb Kashtanov Creates Mural as Testament to the History of the Republic first appeared on street art united states.
by Kat Kennedy via street art united states

by via Pgh Graffiti

Happy Sunday


by via Pgh Graffiti

Samstag, 30. Juli 2022

CREWLEAKS: SMOCREW (SMILE MORE OFTEN)

  • Name: Smo Crew (Smile More Often)
  • Founded: The crew started back in 2015/16 after a few writers had randomly met at spots around London and started painting together. We were all doing our own thing at the time but were keen to paint with like minded people who were down to rock a same colour production. This became our aim when painting together - matching colours, characters and a themed background. We were painted a fair few walls before deciding to form the crew officially and here we are today.
  • Countries: Worldwide
  • Original members: Chaer (Latvia), Chips (Italy), Core246 (Spain), Deats (UK), Hertse (Australia), Nelius (Italy), SkyHigh (UK), Sorez (Romania), Toile (UK), Tuis (Chile) and Zebor (UK). We all met in UK but we are from different nationalities, at the moment there are members in Australia, UK and Chile.
  • Current members: idem.
  • Philosophy: SMO crew is a chill crew, we enjoy painting crew walls and take our time. One of our monikers is SMOkers so you can imagine the vibe. Some members get too carried away by this and sometimes this ends with people getting too drunk or high to finish their pieces. There are pictures that one day may see the light with members in terrible moments being tortured by others SMO members.
  • Collective memory: Most of the crew is or has been based in London. Painting the streets there puts you in contact with a massive number of characters. I think we have seen it all. There used to be a homeless guy who used to sneak around when we were painting, open the buckets of emulsion and eat the paint. We havent seen him in a while… The amount of weird people who roam around this place is amazing, you never know what will happen when you paint.

by mtn-world via Montana World

Donnerstag, 28. Juli 2022

You Are Not Alone Murals at South Street Seaport: Jason Naylor, Kasi Turpin, Eric W Lee, Calicho Arevalo, Subway Doodle & Will Pay, Zipeng Zhu and Efdot & Jessie Mordine

With support from lead sponsors NAMI NYC and the Howard Hughes Corporation, seven new alluringly fashioned You Are Not Alone Murals have made their way onto the South Street Seaport in honor of the 2022 BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month.  Pictured above are the works of the prolific Brooklyn-based artist Jason Naylor and, to his right, designer and illustrator Kasi Turpin. Several more photos of YANA murals — painted during two of this month’s hottest days and captured at dusk — follow:

NYC-based freelance graphic designer Eric W Lee

Bogota-native Calicho Arevalo does it in Spanish

Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Subway Doodle in collaboration with Iranian-American muralist Will Pay and NYC-based multimedia designer Zipeng Zhu to their mural’s right

Brooklyn-based visual artist Efdot in collaboration with textile artist and educator Jessie Mordine

Founded and organized by Dirty Bandits and Samantha Schutz, You Are Not Alone Murals is a pubic art project that inspires hope and connection though creativity. If you are feeling down, the number to text or call is 988.

Photos by Lois Stavsky


by lois via Street Art NYC

Artist Saype Extends the World’s Largest Human Chain to Rio de Janeiro, 2022

For the fifteenth stage of the global artwork “Beyond Walls” in Rio de Janeiro, Saype strives to bridge the impassable distance between Benin (the tenth stage of the project) and Brazil. Thus allowing those who left across the ocean never to return, to feel again the desperate embrace of those who saw them drift away forever… from African origin to American destination, from light to night, from freedom to slavery…

Beyond walls erected by people between people, Saype went to meet the local communities in the Estacìo favela.

Between the postcard image of Copacabana, which bears the tragic marks of history, and the favela, the gigantic hands of “Beyond Walls” strive to overcome the fractures of the past and those still very present. They remind us that it is only through cooperation that walls fall down and the universe becomes a reality: “the universal is the local minus the walls” (Miguel Torga).

The Beyond walls project is a giant eco-responsible landart painting by Saype using natural pigments made from charcoal and chalk. This global project aims to link more than 30 cities worldwide to promote the message of togetherness. 

The symbolic human chain was launched in the city of love, Paris and then travelled to Engolasters in AndorraSaype then stepped into Geneva, Switzerland. Step 4 took the human chain to Berlin, step 5 to Ouagadougou, step 6 to Yamoussoukro and Step 7 to Turin. Step 8 sees Saype link Europe to Asia via Istanbul. Step 9 crosses three neighbourhoods in Cape Town. After a year disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Saype creates step 10 in Benin. His 11th step in Dubai, Venice , Belfast and now Rio de Janeiro.

Photo credit: Valentin Flauraud for Saype

The post Artist Saype Extends the World’s Largest Human Chain to Rio de Janeiro, 2022 appeared first on GraffitiStreet.


by Donna via GraffitiStreet