My Favourite Street Art: A Journey in Photos

Street art — of varying quality — can be found in many cities around the world. At its worst, it can be distasteful graffiti. At its best, these impressive public artworks can liven up a city.

Sometimes street art exists to tell a story, spread a message or even to protest. Sometimes, it’s an inspirational or thought-provoking quote. And sometimes, it’s just a clever advertisement.

This post contains photographs of some of the best and most interesting street art I’ve come across around the world.

Large-scale street art

Berlin, Germany. Photos by Author.

Vienna, Austria. Photo by Author.

Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Photo by Author.

Adelaide, Australia. Photo by Author.

Dunedin, New Zealand. Photo by Author.

São Paulo, Brazil. Photo by Author.

Cincinnati, USA. Cincinnati, USA.

Montevideo, Uruguay. Photo by Author.

‘Sculptures by the Sea’ in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Author.

Valparaíso, Chile. Photos by Author.

‘Graffiti Alley’ in Toronto, Canada. Photos by Author.

Berlin, Germany. Photos by Author.

Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Photo by Author.

Street art that repurposes streetscapes

“Piano steps” in Valparaíso, Chile. Photo by Author.

Hamburg, Germany. Photo by Author.

Lego bridge in Wuppertal, Germany. Photo by Author.

Rainbow zebra crossings in Utrecht, Netherlands and Ottawa, Canada. Photos by Author.

Street art that makes a statement

An advertisement for Fritz-kola in Berlin, Germany with the caption “Mensch, wach auf” (people, wake up). Photo by Author.

East Side Gallery in Berlin, Germany (the text in German at the top says “there are many walls to tear down”). Photo by Author.

Spotted in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Photo by Author.

“Cigarette packs” in Berlin, Germany warn against capitalism. Photo by Author.

Street art in Minsk, Belarus, placed strategically — and ironically — above a bust of Lenin. Photo by Author.

“1984” in Santiago, Chile. Photo by Author.

Street art series

Sometimes, artists create a series of art and plaster them around the city for observant folks to find. One of my favourite series is the “Little Lucy” series by El Bocho. Adapted from a children’s cartoon character, Lucy has a dark side and is seen all over Berlin trying to kill her cat in creative ways.

Little Lucy in Berlin, Germany. Photos by Author.

Subway station art

Raiymbek Batyr station in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Photo by Author.

Candidplatz station in Munich, Germany. Photo by Author.

Solna Centrum station in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo by Author.

Inspirational & thought-provoking quotes

“You only live once” — Berlin, Germany. Photo by Author.

“You can always die — don’t forget that” — Vienna, Austria. Photo by Author.

“Alone you can do nothing, you must do it together” — Utrecht, Netherlands. Photo by Author.