Wall murals have remodeled the thirteenth arrondissement in Paris, a district usually missed. Identified for its Chinatown, quiet cobbled alleys, and new high-rises, it has additionally turn into a hub for road artwork.
Over the previous decade, the world has was an open-air gallery, with huge murals bringing shade to the concrete façades of post-war housing blocks. What as soon as felt gray and heavy now feels daring, dynamic, and filled with power.
I lastly took an extended stroll by means of the world the opposite day to see them up shut. The dimensions and element are placing. These murals don’t simply beautify—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 Have a look at the thirteenth: Why Right here?
Whenever you go to the thirteenth arrondissement, you discover straight away 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 appeal that you simply discover in central Paris.
Traditionally, the thirteenth is a working-class district, formed by business and post-war progress. Tall housing blocks, factories, and huge boulevards.
The factories are largely gone. However the concrete towers and empty partitions stayed. The outcome? 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 convey large-scale murals to life. Right this moment, 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 method by means of 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 all the things 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 purple, black, and white—sharp strains twisting right into a managed chaos. Geometric shapes, surreal figures, and mechanical parts lock collectively, demanding a better look.
Twin brothers Raoul and Davide Perre, initially from Germany, began in graffiti crews earlier than taking their fashion 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 looks like a dream—an remoted, floating construction mixing realism with a contact of surrealism.
“Turncoat” by D*Face
A placing turquoise and black pop-art mural by D*Face, exhibiting a close-up of a girl’s face. Her flowing hair, wing-like element, and daring purple lips give it a comic book guide really feel. The colours had been gorgeous, not solely due to the proper blue sky.
D*Face, a London-based road artist, is thought for his playful but subversive pop-art fashion. Impressed by comics and punk tradition, his work usually 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 not less than 4 items come into sight. Essentially the most iconic? This one:
Shepard Fairey’s “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”
A contemporary tackle the French motto, mixing daring purple, white, and blue along with his signature graphic fashion. On the middle, a girl’s face, framed by floral patterns, radiates power and resilience.
Fairey, who can be the artist behind the Obama Hope poster, is thought 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 fashion, 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 stuffed with each glamour and controversy. The portrait was chosen by native residents of the neighborhood.
BToy, a Barcelona-based artist, is thought 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, depart Love Gained’t Tear Us Aside behind and stroll by means of 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, inconceivable to overlook.
Bambin in Shorts by SETH
This is among the most well-known murals within the thirteenth—and the largest. Spanning two huge buildings, it’s inconceivable to overlook.
SETH, or Julien Malland, is among the most acknowledged road artists in France. His work usually options kids, painted in gentle, virtually dreamlike tones, interacting with their environment in poetic methods. As a substitute of faces, he usually 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 aspect 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
In the event 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 that means and execution. Put in in 2022 by C215, it’s a robust 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 wish to present you right this moment is from C215, one among 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 pictures in your places of work, as a result of I’m neither a god nor an icon, however fairly a servant of the Nation. As a substitute, cling pictures of your kids and take a look at them each time you want to decide.”
Wrap up: The Ever-Altering Partitions of the thirteenth
The thirteenth arrondissement has was an open-air museum, the place concrete blocks turn into canvases and the streets really feel alive with shade. From Boulevard Vincent Auriol to Rue de Patay, every mural tells a unique story—some private, some political, all inconceivable to disregard.
This stroll solely scratches the floor. New items seem, others fade, and town retains shifting. In the event you’re up for extra, wander by means of Butte-aux-Cailles or preserve an eye fixed out—Paris has a method of turning the sudden into artwork.
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