Wall murals of Paris have reworked the thirteenth arrondissement, a district typically missed. Identified for its Chinatown, quiet cobbled alleys, and new high-rises, it has additionally develop into a hub for road artwork.
Over the previous decade, the realm has became an open-air gallery, with huge murals bringing colour to the concrete façades of post-war housing blocks. What as soon as felt gray and heavy now feels daring, dynamic, and stuffed with vitality.
I lastly took an extended stroll via the realm the opposite day to see them up shut. The dimensions and element are putting. These murals don’t simply enhance—they rework the temper of the entire neighborhood.
On this article, I’ll take you alongside Boulevard Vincent Auriol and the encircling streets to find works by Shepard Fairey, C215, Seth, and others who’ve left their mark.
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A Transient Take a look at the thirteenth: Why Right here?
While you go to the thirteenth arrondissement, you discover immediately that it isn’t polished or grand. It’s a lived-in a part of Paris, outlined extra by every day life than the image postcard attraction that you simply discover in central Paris.
Traditionally, the thirteenth is a working-class district, formed by trade and post-war development. Tall housing blocks, factories, and extensive boulevards.
The factories are largely gone. However the concrete towers and empty partitions stayed. The consequence? A uncooked city canvas—prepared for use.
Road artwork suits in right here. It’s not decorative—it’s a part of the material. The arrondissement’s mayor, Jérôme Coumet, embraced it early, working with Galerie Itinerrance to deliver large-scale murals to life. Right now, the thirteenth is the spot in Paris for road artwork that’s each curated and alive.
Tip: In case you are gathering House Invaders in Paris, you’ll discover a lot in your manner via the thirteenth arrondissement!
Murals of Paris: A Road Artwork Path within the thirteenth
Begin your stroll at Place d’Italie. It’s the central hub of the thirteenth—the place every little thing branches off.
Skip Chinatown to the south and the Butte-aux-Cailles to the southwest—save these for one more day.
For now, head east. That’s the place the murals are. Cross into Boulevard Vincent Auriol that’s lined with a number of the boldest murals in Paris. From right here on, it’s wall after wall.
Boulevard Vincent Auriol – Open Air Gallery
Simply 350 meters in, and also you’re already surrounded. One intersection, 5 murals, every pulling you in in another way. Right here’s a variety:
“Gaze on the Boulevard” by Hush
A British artist from Newcastle. His work mixes Jap figures with Western road codes. Delicate faces layered over sharp patterns.
“Solar-Daze” by HowNosm
This mural by HowNosm is a dense mixture of crimson, black, and white—sharp strains twisting right into a managed chaos. Geometric shapes, surreal figures, and mechanical components lock collectively, demanding a better look.
Twin brothers Raoul and Davide Perre, initially from Germany, began in graffiti crews earlier than taking their type to murals worldwide.
“Perdrix” by WEN2
WEN2 is from Brest in Brittany so the marine theme isn’t a shock actually. His mural takes inspiration from La Tourelle des Perdrix, a lighthouse off the coast of southern Finistère. The piece seems like a dream—an remoted, floating construction mixing realism with a contact of surrealism.
“Turncoat” by D*Face
A putting turquoise and black pop-art mural by D*Face, displaying a close-up of a lady’s face. Her flowing hair, wing-like element, and daring crimson lips give it a comic book guide really feel. The colours had been gorgeous, not solely due to the right blue sky.
D*Face, a London-based road artist, is understood for his playful but subversive pop-art type. Impressed by comics and punk tradition, his work typically explores themes of fame, love, and loss with a pointy, graphic aesthetic.
Rue Nationwide
On the nook of Boulevard Vincent Auriol and Rue Nationale, you hit one other mural hotspot. Simply flip round, and at the least 4 items become visible. Essentially the most iconic? This one:
Shepard Fairey’s “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”
A contemporary tackle the French motto, mixing daring crimson, white, and blue along with his signature graphic type. On the heart, a lady’s face, framed by floral patterns, radiates power and resilience.
Fairey, who can be the artist behind the Obama Hope poster, is understood for his highly effective, socially engaged artworks. This mural, created after the 2015 Paris assaults, is each a tribute and a logo of solidarity.
Place Pinel
Simply throughout Rue Nationale, you attain Place Pinel, one other cluster of wall murals in Paris. And right here, we meet an artist we’ve already crossed paths with.
“Love Gained’t Tear Us Aside” by D*Face
His signature pop-art type, daring strains, and nostalgic romance imagery tackle a darker twist than on “Turncoat” that we’ve seen on Boulevard Vincent Auriol.
Evelyn Nesbit Mural by BToy
This mural by BToy brings Evelyn Nesbit again into the highlight. As soon as a well-known mannequin and actress within the early 1900s, her life was crammed with each glamour and controversy. The portrait was chosen by native residents of the neighborhood.
BToy, a Barcelona-based artist, is understood for her layered, stencil-based portraits of robust girls from the previous.
She blends realism with a painterly contact, giving forgotten icons a brand new presence in city areas.
Rue Jeanne d’Arc
From Place Pinel, go away Love Gained’t Tear Us Aside behind and stroll via the small park.
Forward, you’ll spot the following Paris mural from a distance—in all probability probably the most well-known one within the thirteenth. It rises excessive above the buildings, not possible to overlook.
Bambin in Shorts by SETH
This is likely one of the most well-known murals within the thirteenth—and the most important. Spanning two huge buildings, it’s not possible to overlook.
SETH, or Julien Malland, is likely one of the most acknowledged road artists in France. His work typically options youngsters, painted in comfortable, virtually dreamlike tones, interacting with their environment in poetic methods. As an alternative of faces, he typically turns them away, leaving their feelings open to interpretation.
If you wish to see extra of his work, head to Butte-aux-Cailles, the place a number of of his murals are hidden in facet streets. He was additionally a key determine within the road artwork expo on the Petit Palais, proving his affect reaches far past the streets of Paris.
Rue de Patay
Should you really feel like exploring a bit extra, head to Rue de Patay. Right here, you’ll discover one other mural that stands out—each in which means and execution. Put in in 2022 by C215, it’s a strong tribute to Ukraine, mixing his signature stencil work with a message that lingers lengthy after you’ve walked away.
Road Artwork in Assist of Ukraine with Artist C215
This final mural I need to present you right this moment is from C215, one in all France’s most famous road artists. He created this mural in 2022 in assist of Ukraine, that includes a quote from Volodymyr Zelensky:
“I actually don’t need my images in your places of work, as a result of I’m neither a god nor an icon, however reasonably a servant of the Nation. As an alternative, hold images of your youngsters and take a look at them each time you should decide.”
Wrap up: The Ever-Altering Partitions of the thirteenth
The thirteenth arrondissement has became an open-air museum, the place concrete blocks develop into canvases and the streets really feel alive with colour. From Boulevard Vincent Auriol to Rue de Patay, every mural tells a unique story—some private, some political, all not possible to disregard.
This stroll solely scratches the floor. New items seem, others fade, and the town retains shifting. Should you’re up for extra, wander via Butte-aux-Cailles or maintain a watch out—Paris has a manner of turning the surprising into artwork.
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