STeW street artist based in Vitry (France)
The year is 1982. STeW, having just barely turned four and to his parents'dismay, had already redesigned the tapestry in his childhood bedroom. Later and to his teachers'dismay, STeW had turned his school notebooks into sketchbooks.
In 1996, STeW discovered spray paint and to the great dismay of the police, he went from notebooks to walls, from walls to vacant lots, from vacant lots to trains under the pseudo ... Now being labeled as a dissident, hi is forced to flee from France to Belgium where he studied Art and Design.
With the central image being the samurai, the heroic warrior in Japanese culture, the illustrations of STeW, the street artist, take us to another land. Here we see this central figure represented in black and white and sometimes with a splash of color emanating from his face. Fish scales, waves, and other iconic symbols that remind us of ancient Japanese etchcings are eminent as he pays homage to the works by the great Japanese artists, e.g. Hiroshige, Hokusai, and Kuniyoshi. However, STeW adds his own personal touch to his warriors and contemporary elements to his compositions. Skulls dance in the background. Spike studded bracelets coil around the wrists of samurai masters. Tattoos mark our heroes and spray cans pose as weapons.
A modern take on ancient influence!