ROA (artist)

ROA Mural in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Painted in 2011 in the Range of his Exhibition: "Transit", at the Skalitzers Gallery.
ROA's numbat in Fremantle
Snails, Lagos, Portugal
Artwork depicting birds in Katowice, Poland
Chameleon in Djerbahood, Tunisia
Mural by ROA (2013) in Málaga, Spain.
Chameleon by ROA (2013) in Málaga, Spain.

ROA (born c. 1976)[1] is a graffiti and street artist from Ghent, Belgium. He has created works on the streets of cities across Europe, the United States, Australia, Asia, New Zealand and Africa.[2][3][4][5][6] ROA generally paints wild or urban animals and birds that are native to the area being painted.[7] ROA usually uses a minimal color palette, such as black and white, but also creates works using vibrant colours depicting the flesh or internal systems within the animals and birds.[2]

"ROA treats each surface he paints like a space to investigate, play with, and fit his creatures into. The technical perfection of his painting belies an underlying resourcefulness with simple tools,” “The animals are matched to their location, with rats in New York City and elephants in Bangkok. There are dark and funny messages, the beauty of both life and death, universal metaphors, inside jokes, and occasional violence, but always in ways that honor the animals and the spaces where they are painted."[8]

A monograph, ROA - CODEX published in 2019 by Lannoo with text contributions by Lucy Lippard, Robert Williams and others, looks at Roa's work on four continents.[9]

  1. ^ Gabbatt, Adam (25 October 2010). "ROA's graffiti rabbit faces removal by Hackney council". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Roa @ Galerie Itinerrance". Graffiti Art Magazine. Paris. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. ^ Barnes, Sara (July 6, 2014). "Shipping Containers Painted as Cages in Powerful Series by ROA". My Modern Met. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  4. ^ Kim, Eugene (February 9, 2011). "Urban Street Art: ROA Tears Up Mexico (11 pieces)". My Modern Met. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  5. ^ Zhang, Jenny (October 12, 2014). "150 Street Artists Decorate Old Tunisian Village with Spectacular Murals". My Modern Met. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  6. ^ Stewart, Jessica (April 2, 2019). "Street Artist Transforms Abandoned Factory into a "Mausoleum of Giants"". My Modern Met. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. ^ "ROA at North West Walls (BE)", CityKingZ, 3 July 2014.
  8. ^ Stewart, Jessica (January 3, 2020). "Street Artist ROA's Incredible Black and White Animal Murals Are Now Immortalized in a Book". My Modern Met. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  9. ^ "ROA Codex". lannoopublishers.com. Lanoo Publishers. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2022.