The best street art in Paris

Yes, Paris is classic. Beaux-art boulevards, bistro tables, and art nouveau metro signs are all inimitably Parisian. But, like all major metropolises, the City of Light beams in all different diverse colors, as in the case with its omnipresent street art. From canalside converted workshops to delicate nymphs with storybook hair, Paris itself is a canvas for art. Come along as we show you some of our favorite works in France's capital!

Portrait of Marion Cotillard: Canal de L’Ourcq

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Portrait of Marion Cotillard on the Canal de L’Ourcq in Pantin, Paris Freehand spray, June 2018. Invited by Marko93. This was a project for L’été du Canal in Paris last year, with the Harcourt photo studio. For those of you with good eyes, it is unfinished. Unfortunately, I was not given enough time to finish the wall. Let’s just say the erosion of her dress represents climate change. I really wanted to paint Dalida (but those photos were conveniently unavailable for me..) She was a French icon and the epitome of class and beauty, and half middle eastern. The most welcome I felt on this project was with the guys down by the canal celebrating the end of Ramadan, who invited us to their barbecue and gave us whisky & cokes and the best lamb skewers I’ve ever had. Shout out to my lift driver Nico who, A. helped me frantically fill in the right side of the wall with rollers and make it look as decent as we could, and b. made sure I was kept alive and got everything I needed during that week in Paris. And thanks to @virginie.f24 @jotagoeshunting @wherethereswalls @sofiluno @dominique_dasse @roswitha2paris and everyone else who came out to see me and meet me and get photos that week in Paris photo 1, 2 & 5 by @virginie.f24, 3 by @dominique_dasse, 4 by @ferdinandfeys, 6 by @fabe_co

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No list would be complete without one of France's most beloved modern symbols: Marion Cotillard, whose starred in everything from the Dark Knight Rises to Arcachon-set Nous Finirons Ensemble. She was painted by New York artist BKFoxx (External link) , who paints photorealistic murals with only spray paint in hand (no stencils or projectors). While the mural is unfinished, the glamorous subject matter, and the dreamy way she appears to float along the canal and dissolve into the city itself earns her a spot on the list of best street art in Paris.

Vinie Graffiti: Canal St. Martin

Vinie Graffiti (External link) 's stylized female figures dot the world, but they're always imaginative, something between a Greek nymph and Bratz doll, and sport voluminous hair that completes the look. One of her most beloved works graces a building along the Canal St. Martin, a shy-looking girl with a jewel-like 'do.

Chuuuttt !!!: Place Igor-Stravinsky

Veteran street artist Jef Aerosol's (External link) piece "Chuuuttt !!!!" is the perfect addition to the whimsical Place Stravinsky, in Beaubourg. In addition to Aerosol's whispering man, the plaza is also home to the Stravinksy fountain, a water feature sporting 16 sculptures representing the namesake composer.

Enter the vortex: Rue Jeanne-d'Arc

Paris' 13 arronidissement is a cornocopia of street art, flourishing in a modern district of the city. Seth's (External link) "Enter the Vortex" is one of the brightest examples, as a young boy appears to walk into a swirling eddy on a building on Rue Jeanne -d'Arc.

Rosa Parks fait le mur: Rue d’Aubervilliers

The longest street art mural (External link) in Paris at the time of its inauguration, "Rosa Parks fait le mur" (Rosa Parks Made the Wall) is a 500 meter (1640 foot) long piece spanning the 18 and 19th arrondissements. Dedicated to the Civil Rights icon, the dynamic work celebrates peace and cohabitition in a mélange by Kashink, Zepha, Bastardilla, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh and Katjastroph

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