Walking down a street, wondering into a tiny alley or negotiating an overpass and suddenly stumble upon something unexpected and as cool as this piece of street art.
Up until recently, Cypriots generally regarded graffiti as vandalism, not art. Thankfully, the authorities were not as severe as in some other countries in pursuing and punishing street artists. In short, it was not an acceptable way of spicing up public places.
While the majority of the population still hesitate to accept the practice, there are clear signs that situation is turning for the better.
Things started to change just a short time ago with festivals and events encouraging graffiti artists to jazz up public spaces and buildings. Following this trend, many neglected or abandoned structures, parking lots, and empty walls around the country have come to life with creative murals.
In spite of latest changes, the majority of graffitis still lack individualism and fairly amateurish. Granted, Cyprus has a long way to go to catch up with such an indisputable hubs as Berlin or Barcelona. Meanwhile, even tiny steps in right direction count.
If anyone knows anything about the authors of the pieces mentioned above, please leave a comment so that I can give them the proper credit. Thanks!
Interesting street art … Cypriots have a sense a style!
Thank you 🙂
That’s so amazing!! I was in Cyprus in 2012 but haven’t been all that interested in street art yet and haven’t really seen any cool works around. And now I’m actually temted to return there, just for the street art!!
I got an impression that it is literally up-and-coming. All older graffiti are not that interesting and more like somebody just got a can of spray paint and was learning how to use it without any message or meaning. Quite sad to be honest. Newer pieces are much more creative and interesting but still somewhat sparse. I would give it a couple years to catch up.