Speedy Graphito (b. 1961), recognized internationally as one of the pioneers of the French Street Art movement, presents an artistic universe built on an honest dialogue concerning the role of the image within modern society. Since the inception of his career in the 1980s, his work has dealt with concepts of commercialism, iconography, and pop culture. A student of the renowned School of Art Estienne, he has since cemented his place as one of the most influential figures who emerged from the Parisian art scene four decades ago.
Speedy Graphito’s reputation has steadily grown during his 40 year career, affecting a generation of artists by laying the foundation of his genre, urban and pop art through the lens of contemporary media culture. The constant evolution of his work is a testament to the versatility that he brings through his medium. Speedy Graphito juggles between painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and performance. The ever-changing nature of his subject matter, with new motifs and icons that evolve and emerge over time, has allowed him to take his art into myriad directions. And for the past 9 years in the United States, the artist has invigorated the cultural landscape with his tireless commitment to the visual discourse of our generation.
The artist’s work, including large-scale installations and murals, are exhibited in galleries and institutions around the world. He has shown in two notable museums in the U.S. and France. A comprehensive retrospective exhibition of his work was shown at Le Musée du Touquet-Paris-Plage, entitled “Un Art De Vivre”. More recently, new works of his were featured in the group show “Tech Effect” at the Cornell Art Museum in Delray Beach, FL.
Gallery Exhibitions
2022, “Sunkissed”
2019, “Beyond the Future” (solo)
2018, “Popadelic”
2017, “An American Story” (solo)
2015, “Artificial Paradise” (solo)
2014, “Hypnotic” (solo pop-up show)
2013, “NEWWORLDS” (solo)
2012, “French Invasion”
2011, “Freeway” (solo)
“Beyond the Future” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Miami, FL – SOLO
“Le Musee Imaginaire” Centre d’Art du Var | Toulon, France – SOLO
“Le Monde Reel est en Noir et Blanc” Galerie Polaris | Paris, France
“Festin” Association La Source | Paris, France
“Conquete Urbaine: Street art au musee” Musee des beaux arts | Calais, France
“Connivences” Galerie d’Art Barthelemy Bouscayrol | Biarritz, France – SOLO
“Time is Now” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Miami, FL
“Speedy Graphito au Palais du Tau” | Reims, France – SOLO
“Out of Ages” Galerie Provost Hacker | Lille, France – SOLO
“Urban Fever” Institut Culturel Bernard Magrez | Bordeaux, France – SOLO
“Une Vie de Livres et D’Art” Le MUDO, Musee de l’Oise | Beauvais, France
“Popadelic“ Fabien Castanier Gallery | Miami, FL
“An American Story“ Fabien Castanier Gallery | Miami, FL – SOLO
“Fusion” Kolly Gallery | Zurich, Switzerland – SOLO
“Volume” Galerie Mathgoth | Paris, France
“Big Buzz Show” l’Espace d’Art Contemporain André Malraux | Colmar, France – SOLO
“Retrospective d’editions d’arts“ Centre d’art graphique | La Metairie Bruyere, France – SOLO
“Libres Figurations Anee 80” Fonds Helene et Edouard Leclerc – Landemeau, France
“Un mode de reves” Galerie Polaris | Paris, France – SOLO
“Un art de vivre” Musee du Touquet-Paris-Plage | Le Touquet, France – SOLO
“Face a face” New Square Gallery | Lille, France – SOLO
“Home Street Home“ Galerie Huberty Breyne | Brussels, Switzerland – SOLO
“La belle vie“ Art Factory | La Reunion, France
“Who’s Your Daddy” Kolly Gallery | Lausanne, Swizterland
“Comme un vent de liberte“ Galerie Barthelemy Bouscayrol | Biarritz, France – SOLO
“Artificial Paradise“ Fabien Castanier Gallery | Los Angeles, CA – SOLO
“Resolution” Galerie Polaris | Paris, France – SOLO
“Dali fait le mur“ Espace Dali | Paris, France
“PARADE“ Galerie Bertheas – Les tournesols | Saint-Etienne, France
“Solo Show” New Square Gallery | Lille, France – SOLO
“BOOM” La lune en parachute | Epinal, France
“ERRO SPEEDY GRAPHITO” Museum Arsenal de Soissons | Soissons, France
“Libre comme l’art” Hotel Jules et Jim | Paris, France
“IN SITU” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
“Hypnotic” Fabien Castanier Gallery / FAAM Auction House | Miami, FL – SOLO
“Happy Street Art” Opera Gallery | Paris, France
“Heroes Never Die” Art Factory Galerie | Sainte Clotilde, La Reunion
“Lost” Museum triolet Aragon | St-Arnoult-en-Yvelines | France – SOLO
“Essential of Drawing” Polaris Gallery | Paris – SOLO
“Solo Show” Saint Emilion Retrospective, the workshop clouds | France – SOLO
“Contre Champs” Museum Triolet Aragon | St-Arnoult-en-Yvelines, France
“NEWWORLDS ” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Los Angeles – SOLO
“Urban Art” Museum of Volklinger Hutte | Germany
“The Essential of Painting 1987-2012” Polaris Gallery | Paris
“LIKE” New Square Gallery| Lille – SOLO
“Le Havre Biennale” Le Havre, France
“The Art of WALL” Group show of white space Coats | Paris
“French Invasion” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Los Angeles
“Los Angeles Art Show” Fabien Castanie Gallery| Los Angeles
“FreeWay” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Los Angeles – SOLO
“Speedy Goes to Miami” Arts for a Better World Art Fair , Miami Art Basel Week | Miami, FL – SOLO
“Solo Show” Opera Gallery | London – SOLO
“Graffcity” Opera Gallery | Paris
“Inaugural Exhibition” Fabien Castanier Gallery | Los Angeles
“Urban Activity” Espace culturel Jean Cocteau | Les Lilas, France
“Fondation Clément” Mix Art | La Martinique
“Atrium” Mix Art | La Martinique
“News works” Lille Art Fair | Galerie Brugier Rigail | Lille, France
“Back2Venus” New Square Gallery | Lille, France – SOLO
“News works” Artop | Lille, France – SOLO
“Exit” Galerie Australe | La Réunion – SOLO
“What did you expect?” Galerie Brugier Rigail | Paris – SOLO
“New works” Lille Art Fair | Galerie Brugier Rigail | Lille, France
“New works” St’art | Galerie Brugier Rigail | Strasbourg
Mondovision” Artop | Lille, France – SOLO
P E R F O R M A N C E S & E V E N T S
2012
Mural live painting for French Invasion exhibition, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Mural live painting, “Do You Really Want to Delete?” LA Art Show, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Mural live painting, “Loading” Context | Art Miami art fair, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Miami, FL
Live painting installation, Le Havre Biennale, Le Havre, France
2011
Mural live painting, Costa Mesa, CA
Mural live painting, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Dogtown Artists United, Venice Art Crawl, Venice Beach, CA
Mural live painting, Arts For a Better World art fair, Fabien Castanier Gallery, Miami, FL
Mural live painting, Rio, Brasil
Performances, Mix Art Madinina, Martinique, France
2010
Lézarts de la Bièvre, Paris, France
Collage, curated by le MUR Association, Paris, France
2009
FIART, Performance pizza Beaubourg, Paris, France
Completion of a short film entitled Faites de beaux rêves (Sweet Dreams)
2006
Completion of a short film entitled Faites de beaux rêves (Sweet Dreams)
A film for the DVD video group Lukrate Milk
Performance for the Global Automotive Industry
2005
Parcours de la Bièvre – Lézart de la Bièvre – Paris, France
International Festival of Graffiti Kosmopolite – Bagnolet, France
Live painting of the Batofar Bus
2004
Stencil project – Paris, France
Making of the film Terminus, filming of a live installation performance
2003
Creation of a series of graphics for WELCOME TO VENUS for CANAL+
Direction and filming of a video for the band French Vegetables
2002
Creating the videos for The Festival of the Dog in Feathers
2001
Creating the videos for The Festival of the Dog in Feathers
Moviemaking scene for the musical group Pluto
1993
Creation of the visual identity for Halle Saint-Pierre
Public control of the Department of Cultural Affairs of Paris, France
Creation of the emblem for the space mission ALTAIR, French-Russian manned (C.N.E.S.)
1992
Decoration of the barge EUROPE ODYSSEY, which rejoined Paris-Moscow channel (FR3)
1991
Decoration of a hobbit-cat to cross the Strait of Formosa by Olivier Chiabodo.
Decoration of the comprehensive school vilette in Paris, in the 1%
Projections for the concert of J.M. Jarre, in La Défense – Paris, France
1987
Creation of SPEEDO, a newspaper for the fans of Speedy
Creating a line of t-shirts YOU ARE THE WORLD
Decorations for the theater’s “La nuit s’ est habillée ce soir en scaramouche ” de Saskia Cohen-Tanugi, Festival Molière de Montpellier.
1986
Creation of the poster THE RUSH ART for the Ministry of Culture, France
A R T F A I R S
Fiac – Paris (France)
Art Jonction – Nice (France)
St’Art – Strasbourg (France)
Lille Art Fair – Paris (France)
Art Koln – Cologne (Germany)
Arco – Madrid (Spain)
Interarte – Valencia (Spain)
Art Chicago – Chicago, IL (USA)
Arts for a Better World – Miami, FL (USA)
Los Angeles Art Show – Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Context, Art Miami – Miami, FL (USA)
Art Wynwood – Miami, FL (USA)
Houston Art Fair – Houston, TX (USA)
Southhampton Art Fair – Southhampton, NY (USA)
C U L T U R A L C E N T E R S
French Insitute of Naples (Italy)
French Cultural Center of Tlemcen (Algeria)
Fontenoy Regional Center for Contemporary Art (France)
French Institute of Prague (Czech Republic)
French Embassy of Japan (Tokyo, Japan)
P U B L I C C O M M I S S I O N S
The Ministry of Culture, France
Le Centre National des Arts Plastiques
Le CNES (mission spatiale Altaïr)
La Direction des Affaires Culturelles de la ville de Paris
F I L M S & V I D E O S
2013 The Mystery of Graphito – produced by Michel Royer, production/distribution by Fabien Castanier Gallery
2010 ESCAPE – Supinfocom – 3D short film – Arles, France
2009 Sweet Dreams – Un monde Meilleur. Arte
2006 LUKRATE MILK – Short film for the DVD group
2004 TERMINUS – Film / Installation / performance for filming
2003 WELCOME TO VENUS – Animation series. Canal+
2002 The Festival of the Dog in Feathers – Video projections
2001 PLUTO – Video projects for the group’s concert
B O O K S
Speedy Graphito: Made in America – Ed. Fabien Castanier Gallery – 2014
Paris Stencils – Ed. Alternatives – 2011
From the Street to the Gallery – Ed. Pyramyd – 2011
Back2Venus – Ed. New Square gallery – 2011
Home Street Home – Coll. Opus Délit – Ed Critère – 2010
What did you expect? – Ed. Brugier Rigail – 2010
Fast Culture – Ed. Alternatives – 2008
In Situ – Ed. Alternatives – 2005
Innerspace – Ed. Critère Urbanité – 2004
À colorier et à méditer – Ed. Possible book – 1992
Speedy Graphito: Product of Art– Ed. Possible book – 1990
Speedy Graphitio: Artistic Genus – Ed. SMI Paris – 1986
E D U C A T I O N
1975-1980, School of “Rue Madame” (l’École de la “Rue Madame”), Paris
Graduated in 1983 from the School of Art Estienne, Paris