C215's stencils are marvelled at with awe on walls all over the world and he’s been a firm favourite for a number of years now. It’s about time we took a closer look at C215.
It seems that no matter how many stencils you might see on the streets, no matter how many you’ve looked at and thought ‘that is amazing’, it is simply just not the same after you’ve see the work of the French artist C215.
C215 is 36 year old Parisian artist Christian Guémy who has become well known for his intricate portraits and distinctive style. He started spray painting in 2005 and since then his work has appeared on walls all over the world and as one off works of art, he has exhibited widely around the world and had his first solo show at the beginning of this year in London.
Guémy has been an admirer of classical portraiture from childhood and now, through his street art, creates portraits of people he meets or likes. His particular interest in creating child portraits was sparked by the experience of having other artists creating portraits of his own daughter, who has become something of a muse for many European graffiti artists.
The name C215 derives from Guémy’s association with the poetical and participative project of the same name led by a French association that publishes illustrated poetry books and organizes collective street art exhibitions; notably the Secret Japanese Garden project in Paris.
