Street art & graff in Istanbul, Part I: Pixel Pancho, Hure, Hero, Kripo, Eskreyn and Various & Gould

Italian artist Pixel Pancho
Italian artist Pixel Pancho

Relatively new to Istanbul, the modern street art movement is beginning to make its mark and gain recognition as a legitimate contemporary art form. In our few days in Istanbul, we — my son and I — saw everything from tags and throw-ups by both local and international writers to huge murals by first-rate artists. We also discovered some local street artists whose aesthetics fuse the best of Eastern and Western sensibilities. Here’s a sampling:

Local artists Hure and Hero
Local artists Hure and Hero
Kripo's ever-present yellow hand
Kripo’s ever-present yellow hands
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Local artist Eskreyn
Local artist Eskreyn
Berlin-based artists Various and Gould
Berlin-based artists Various and Gould

Special thanks to Erbil Sivaslioglu who shared with us his passion and knowledge of his city’s street art scene.

Photos by Lois Stavsky and Dani Reyes Mozeson