We always try to do our best and stay up to date on the site and most importantly our friends work. A bunch of new changes right now is making it more difficult to post as frequently as we usually do. With that said we are posting this sick update from our friend Above.

Known for his constant global travels, his social and politically charged messages, one of the world’s biggest names in street art returns to Melbourne in July to present his solo show titled ‘Jet Set’ – an exhibition of new works at Metro Gallery. Deliberately choosing to conceal his identity, the often controversial work of prolific and established street artist ABOVE, can be seen in over 90 cities in more than 60 countries across the globe.
Inspired by over a decade of non-stop transient existence, ‘Jet Set’ will showcase the 10 cities that have most impacted ABOVE’s life and work over 10 years: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, London, Rome, Sydney, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

“I’ve lived a transient life since I moved from San Francisco to Paris at 19, moving from place to place with just a pocket full of ambition. I’ve not been in any given location during the past 10 years for more than 3 months before venturing off to my next challenging city and adventure that awaits me. Each of the 10 cities I have chosen have shaped me in some fundamental way and impacted me as an artist and person so with each artwork I’m going to channel those emotions and experiences into each relative cities piece. My goal with the Jet Set exhibition is to transport you to each city the way I have experienced it.” ABOVE said.

ABOVE is widely recognised for his full colour figurative stencils, wooden ‘arrow mobile’ installations and large social-political word play paintings.

Please enjoy and share this.

Above’s mural has gone global!!! Please hit the link below

Africa has had a devastating history of blood diamond wars. Blood diamond refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and then sold to finance an invading army’s war efforts, usually in Africa where more than two-thirds of the worlds diamonds are extracted. This site specific social / political word play was painted on the exterior wall of Johannesburg’s largest diamond trader Jewel City. Jewel City is a six-block mega-precinct that serves as a base for some 300 diamond traders as well as South Africa’s Diamond Board and State Traders Association. Jewel City is the largest diamond exporter in the southern hemisphere with over 7-Billion worth of Diamonds being exported every year.

I was able to get away with this diamond wall heist because I told the owners I would paint in big letters “Diamonds are a woman’s best friend” on the exterior of their building. The owners loved the idea and all quickly agreed. The next day I had started painting but what the owners didn’t know is that I lied to them and was hijacking their wall. Like any premeditated robbery, situations are not what they seem and shit can flip from best friends to worst enemies in a few moments.

I assume the owners were too busy trading diamonds inside the mega center they never took the time to come out and see I was painting a controversial word play about the diamond trade and how it’s fueled so much bloodshed in wars making it one of man’s worst enemies.

ABOVE