In the late 1990s, anonymous French artist Invader began cementing and gluing ceramic mosaic Space Invaders—pixelated characters from the eponymous 1978 video game—across the streets of Paris. He expanded his roster to include Pac-Man ghosts and other popular 8-bit characters, and his works now adorn cities around the world, from Los Angeles to Kathmandu. Along with these clandestine works of street art, Invader has produced mosaics on Perspex panel, plywood, and book covers. He has also created paintings, drawings, and screenprints in his signature pixelated style. These works regularly sell for six figures on the secondary market. In 2019, astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti brought one of Invader’s works to the International Space Station, about 248 miles above Earth. Invader has exhibited internationally, with shows in Los Angeles, Paris, Brussels, and Hong Kong, among other cities.

Love street art? Love remembering gaming? Either way, you have most likely experienced the work of Invader, even if you didn't know it. Invader is a French street artist and somewhat of an enigma. He has invaded over 100 cities worldwide, with his unmistakable pixelated ceramic mosaics placed onto walls, bridges, and buildings in urban guerrilla "invasions". Invader's works, generally inspired by 1970s and 1980s video gaming, and more specifically, Space Invaders, slip into the intersection of retro-pop culture, tech, and urban insurgency.

Anonymous and unmistakable, Invader has resulted in a cult-like following from collectors and gamers alike. His mosaics and limited edition studio works are now found at major auctions, making owning a piece of Invader no longer just an urban myth, but a legitimate piece of art investment. Check out our collection of Invader works by taking a look at our artworks for sale, from coveted mosaics to his _Rubikcubist_ works, which are all authenticated and ready for purchase.

## About Invader

Invader is a mystery laid down with ceramic tiles. He was born in France in the late 1960s or 1970s (we think) and studied at a Parisian art school. He began what he referred to as urban acupuncture: a small episodic instalment of tiled mosaics based on 8-bit video game characters, as part of the fabric within cities. He started his first documented 'invasion' in Paris in 1998, and he has never stopped since.

Invader works at night and has "invaded" over 80 cities around the world, including New York, Tokyo, and Kathmandu. Each mosaic is geotagged and catalogued in a digital archive, often with accompanying scores in a gamified global project. They aren't just works of art, but missions too.


Invader

French

Enki Bilal, a French-Yugoslavian comic book writer and artist, has gained widespread recognition for his notable work, "The Carnival of Immortals," which saw the creation of two successful sequels: "The Woman Trap" in 1986 and "Equator Cold" in 1993. In addition to his comic book achievements, Bilal, serving as both writer and illustrator, crafted "The Monster's Tetralogy" in 1998.

While primarily known for his contributions to the graphic arts, Bilal has also ventured into filmmaking, directing three movies. In 1989, he helmed "Bunker Palace Hotel," followed by "Tykho Moon" in 1997 and "Immortal" in 2004, the latter being an adaptation of his earlier Nikopol Trilogy. Bilal's multifaceted talents have earned him accolades, including being named Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2003 and receiving a knighthood in the Ordre National du Mérite in 2010. In a unique tribute, an asteroid was even named after him in 2006.