Eduardo Kobra is a street artist who has taken on some of the world largest murals, his medium of graffiti pulsating with highly-saturated colours. His artwork benefitting from his mastery of two different styles; from photorealistic portraits of famous scenes and people, to geometric abstractions – one for the subject’s portrait and another for the background. This difference in geometric designs (often including chequered patterns) helps to add a furthering of depth to the murals, producing a three-dimensional perspective.
There’s a strong sense of humour to Kobra’s work, which is commonly placed alongside his messages to the community, and to his growing international audience of followers. One such example is Great Bike Riding (2015) painted in São Paulo that shows a happy Albert Einstein riding his bike. The reason for this composition was due to the escalation of a bike debate following the creation of specific bike lanes that led to raised anger over who owned the roads of São Paulo, which till then had been almost solely ruled by automobiles. In choosing to use Einstein riding a bike, Kobra made a point of reflecting the discussion of the day, whilst pointing out the absurdity of the argument, the joy of riding and the chances it provided – for it’s said that Einstein came up with his best ideas while cycling.
Great Bike Riding, 2015, Eduardo Kobra. Image is courtesy of Eduardo Kobra © – 2022
Kobra’s artwork has led to him travelling all around the world, producing his eye-catching murals in five continents, but it is in his home city of São Paulo where you can see the largest collection of his work; Muro das Memórias (Wall of Memories) (2002) a 10,000 sq-ft piece of art that helped launch his rise to fame. Full of sepia tones to black and white images, the is mural based on old photographs of the city; reminding the locals of its early heritage, and of their connection to one another, whilst referencing the changing expansion of the city. Continuing the photorealism of his work, Kobra has since embraced more and more colour, while continuing his passion for history and using it to pass on messages of unity with figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and many more as leading examples.
Muro das Memórias, 2002, Eduardo Kobra. Image is courtesy of Eduardo Kobra © – 2022
