Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash) is a French born street artist, famous for his works charged with joy and positivity.
He started his career as street artist after the 2010 film Exit Through the Gift Shop. Directed by Banksy, it featured Mr. Brainwash himself as the protagonist.
Appropriating images from art history and popular culture, Mr. Brainwash merges stencil characters like Einstein and Charlie Chaplin with his iconic mottos like Life Is Beautiful and Follow Your Dreams.
Mr. Brainwash - Art
In his artworks, Mr. Brainwash mixes black and white elements with vibrant colors, icons of pop culture and art history, and elements of classical art. This combination of elements leads him to have a perfectly recognizable style, creating works that convey joy and lightheartedness to the viewer.
His style thus perfectly embodies his motto: Life is beautiful.
Life is Beautiful was also the title of his first solo exhibition, held in 2008 in a 15,000-square-foot space at Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
Mr. Brainwash - Life is Beautiful Sculpture
Particularly well-known are the Hard Candy sculptures, which echo Mr. Brainwash's motto. The traditional version of these sculptures is made in various metallized colors, but over the years the artist has presented different versions; from non-metallized colors to the Splash Edition, featuring splashes of color.
The phrase Life is Beautiful has also been incorporated by the street artist in some of his unique artworks and on paper. In addition to Life is Beautiful, Mr. Brainwash's artworks also feature other universal messages that praise life, such as "never give up" and "follow your dream."