The Swedish artist who painted the mural above had no formal art training when he started painting murals. But the artist—who goes by Yash—worked hard, teaching himself to paint and developing a unique style. His dedication has paid off: Popular American architecture magazine Architectural Digest recently named the mural above one of the best-designed street murals in the world.
The 2016 mural Where Trees Don’t Grow seems to emit a warm glow. Yash paints the figure with a neutral facial expression. With downcast eyes, the figure’s mood and identity aren’t obvious to viewers. Instead, the artist shows the subject’s personality through expressive details. The figure wears a hoodie with a playful polka-dot pattern and an opening at the back of the hood for the hair—upon which a plump bird perches. Yash renders the shapes in the background to mimic more than one natural phenomenon. Do you see billowing clouds, ocean waves, or a mountainous landscape? The artist hopes to broaden viewers’ ideas about shape, identity, and expression.
Artscape, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting public art in Sweden, sponsors Yash. The organization stands by its mission: “Great art shouldn’t be confined to only galleries and museums!”