Group in a Boat, Marseille 1930 by artspace

The French artist JR, known for his large-scale public photography projects addressing local political conflicts, has gained international recognition. Despite his fame, JR remains private, using only his initials and wearing dark sunglasses and a fedora in public. His work, praised by fellow street artist Shepard Fairey as 'the most ambitious', spans photography, filmmaking, and relational aesthetics. Born in Paris' banlieues to a Tunisian mother and European father, JR began as a graffiti tagger before transitioning into photography. His first major project, in 2004, humanized rioters in the banlieues by pasting their faces around the city. Since then, JR has created projects like Face2Face in Israel and West Bank, and Women Are Heroes in Rio de Janeiro. After winning the 2011 TED prize, he launched Inside Out, inviting global participants to send him photographs for large-scale public display. JR's work has been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou and his film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. He believes art's neutrality enables it to facilitate discussions and change the world. This piece is a 12-color lithograph printed on white BFK Rives 270gsm paper, measuring 27.56 x 39.37 inches (70.0 x 100.0 cm), edition of 180.