Biography

Speedy Graphito (b. 1961) is a precursor to the avant-garde and recognized as one of the pioneers of the French “Street Art” movement (Urban Contemporary Art). Today, Speedy Graphito is internationally considered one of the major figures of his generation. Since the early 1980s, just after the free-figuration movement, the collective memory and walls of Paris were permeated with the coloring and snappy graphics of Speedy Graphito’s “Style Graphito.” Prolific and inventive, Speedy uses all forms of expression – painting, sculpture, installation, video and photography, to express his unique perspective as a contemporary iconoclast. Though his work has evolved considerably over the past few decades, he has become known and revered for his exploration of commercialism and references to pop cultural images and icons. Particularly inspired by the iconography of animated characters from movies and television, Speedy aims to re-interpret the visual landscape that has become so commonplace. For the past eight years, Speedy has developed a strong presence in the U.S., beginning with his first U.S. solo exhibition, Freeway, in Fall 2011 at the Fabien Castanier Gallery. His paintings and sculptures, as well as large-scale installations and murals, have been acquired by private collections across the country and his influence on the American and international art market continues to grow.