All posts tagged: Jeanne-Marie Laurent

Graffiti artist Djalouz’s wildstyle 3-D shards look like multi-tentacled sea monsters climbing up walls, wrapping around telephone booths, creeping down stairwells and spreading across floors. By themselves, these interlocking forms can be biomorphic and menacing. Coupled with expressive paint-splattered hands releasing a Dove of Peace the effect is quite something else entirely.

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

For his new wall with public art programmers Art Azoï the Parisian delves into his aspirations for peace, perhaps in reaction to the terrorism horrors that have occurred in parts of Europe over the last year. He may also have been inspired by the location here on the terrace of the Ken Saro Wiwa Center, so named for the Nigerian writer, television producer and environmental activist whom Shell Oil was found complicit in the murder of.

Curator Alex Parrish tells us that the messages of peace here are a bit buried beneath the very obvious symbolism. “Beneath the layers of paint on the hand and the dove are clever phrases (more so a play on words) that relate to its title, such as ‘j’aime pas les confli’ (I don’t like conflict) and ‘amis pas haine me’ (friends not hate),” she tells us.

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Djalouz for Art Azoï. Center Ken Saro Wiwa. Paris. April 2016. (photo © Jeanne-Marie Laurent)

Alex Parrish is part of the ArtAzoï team and a frequent BSA Contributor.

Click HERE to learn more about ArtAzoï.

Please visit Jeanne-Marie Laurent of Petites Chroniques Urbaines to learn more about her work. http://petiteschroniquesurbaines.com/