You can label him a genius or a fraud. Mr Brainwash (the adopted name of French-born artist Thierry Guetta) is the ultimate trickster in the street art scene, a provocateur equally inspired by pop culture, graffiti and art history. His meteoric rise, pushed along by Banksy’s now-world-famous 2010 documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, established him as both a cult figure and market phenomenon. With large, bold slogans, celebrity portraits and reworked art-historical figures, his art simultaneously equals homage, parody and a comment on art and commercialism.
Currently, Mr Brainwash is an international art brand whose editions, originals, and installations continue to extend the appeal to collectors. His artwork sells for six-figure prices in the secondary market, and he has produced album art for pop-music icons Madonna and Rick Ross. Regardless if you consider Mr Brainwash a pop-art genius, a trickster, or a self-made visionary, he undoubtedly has found a place in contemporary art. Browse our curated list and find unique artwork that embodies his frenetic, colourful spirit in your home.
About Mr Brainwash
Born Thierry Guetta in 1966 in France, Mr Brainwash ultimately made his way to Los Angeles, where he embraced the city’s active street culture. Before becoming an artist, he spent years filming graffiti legends, including Banksy and Shepard Fairey. His documentation obsession became his introduction to art – and he quickly began to evolve into a key figure in Banksy’s Oscar-nominated film Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film depicted the evolution of Guetta into the overnight art phenomenon “Mr Brainwash,” who staged gigantic exhibitions rife with colourful celebrity-filled imagery. While some critics were speculating whether the work was really true art, or just an elaborate prank of Banksy’s, Mr Brainwash relished in the circus, and took on the character of a figure who is both highlighting and ridiculing the commodification of street art.
Since then, Mr Brainwash has exhibited internationally, installed enormous public works, and become one of the most recognisable pop-graffiti collaborative artists.
