André (artist) explained

André
Birth Name:André Saraiva
Birth Date:2 July 1971
Birth Place:Uppsala, Sweden
Nationality:Swedish
Other Names:Monsieur André
Monsieur A
Occupation:Graffiti Artist
Hotelier
Restaurateur
Years Active:1989–present
Known For:Mr.A, a graffiti series that has run for thirty plus years
Spouse:Uffie (2008—2009)

André Saraiva (Monsieur André and Monsieur A) born 2 July 1971. Known mononymously as André, is a Swedish-French artist best known for his work in graffiti. Amongst his creations is Mr. A which he has painted across all six inhabited continents. His work has been featured in museums such as the MoCA as in feature films such as Exit Through the Gift Shop.[1] As an entrepreneur, he owns restaurants, nightclubs such as Le Baron, and hotel chains such as Hotel Amour.

Early life

André Saraiva was born on 2 July 1971[2] in Uppsala, Sweden, where his Portuguese parents had fled the military regime of Salazar.[3] His mother was a translator and his father was a painter.[2] André moved to Paris at the age of 10, and started graffiti art at the age of thirteen.[4]

Career

Artist

In 1986, André started tagging a top-hatted, stick figure character by the name of Mr. A on the streets of Paris, which earned him a reputation as a renowned graffiti artist.[2] [5] According to André, he has drawn approximately 300,000 Mr. A characters since the inception of his career.[3]

André has been globally recognized for his work with graffiti. In 1989, André Saraiva won a competition organized by the French magazine L'Express. His graffiti spanned 3.2mby2.15mm (10.5feetby07.05feetm) of spray paint and stencils, which was selected among 25 other projects. He was featured on the cover of No. 2001 issue of L'Express. In 1997, he sold his paintings in a shop in Paris, from which he was spotted by Japanese patrons that brought him to the art scene of Tokyo.[2]

André's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums. In 2002, he opened the concept store "BlackBlock" in Paris at Palais de Tokyo; a creation around which he organized concerts, parades and other performances, and whose profits were reinvested in new projects art.[2] In 2010, André appeared in Banksy's documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. In 2011, he participated in MoCA Los Angeles' Art in the Streets exhibition.[6] The same year, his work was also displayed at the Grand Palais, Paris and the 54th Venice Biennale.[7] In 2014, a solo retrospective dedicated to his work was held at the Museu do Design e da Moda in Lisbon.[8]

Entrepreneur

He has been commissioned to design luxury consumer goods, including goods made by Louis Vuitton, Apple, Chanel, Bally Shoe, Tiffany & Co, Sonia Rykiel, Levi's, Nike, Off-White and Converse. His likeness has been featured in global marketing campaigns.[9] [10] [11]

Besides being a graffiti artist, André has served as the creative director and owner of clubs, hotels and restaurants in Paris, Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Shanghai and St. Tropez.[12]

From 2011 to 2015 he was the creative director for L'Officiel, a French fashion magazine.[13]

In April 2020, André unveiled a collaboration with OnePlus, creating customized cases for the OnePlus 8 series.[14]

Conviction for vandalism of Joshua Tree National Park

On 1 April 2015 André was fined for vandalizing a boulder in Joshua Tree National Park, California.[15] André posted photos of the graffiti on Instagram, and the website Modern Hiker and its readers aided the National Park Service in tracking down and identifying André's defacing of the boulder.[16] [17] Before the conviction, André attempted to silence the reporting with legal threats.[18]

Personal life

André was formerly married to French/American electro musician Uffie between 2008 and 2009.[19]

Filmography

André is also an actor, known for For Lovers Only (2011) and Hora Sagrada (2007).[29]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: André Saraiva Is Spreading The Graffiti Love. Forbes. Felicity. Carter. October 23, 2019.
  2. Web site: André Saraiva, à la faveur de la nuit. Libération.
  3. Katell Pouliquen, " André, graffeur gâté ", L'Express, November 1, 2004
  4. Book: Mirko. Reisser. Mirko Reisser. Gerrit. Peters. Heiko. Zahlmann. [{{Google books|lD5FpE5yX14C|Urban Discipline 2002: Graffiti-Art|page=118|plainurl=yes}} Urban Discipline 2002: Graffiti-Art]. Urban Discipline: Graffiti-Art. 3. 1st. english, german. getting-up. Hamburg (Germany). 2002. 3-00-009421-0. 118.
  5. Web site: Interview with Andre Saraiva. 15 March 2013 . The Talks.
  6. Web site: MOCA's 'Art in the Streets' Exhibit Invites Unwanted Graffiti. 17 April 2011. HuffingtonPost .
  7. Web site: Biographie d'André Saraiva. January 2014. SoldArt.
  8. Web site: MUDE. thisislove. MUDE. June 23, 2018.
  9. News: André Saraiva – graffitist. Julia. Chaplin. The New York Times . 22 April 2007 . June 23, 2018.
  10. News: André Saraiva Adds Breakfast to His Portfolio. The New York Times . 10 September 2015 . June 23, 2018 . Schneier . Matthew .
  11. Web site: Andre Saraiva, Editor, Club Owner, and International Playboy: Why I Go To the Fashion Shows. Will. Welch. January 26, 2015. Gq.com. June 23, 2018.
  12. Web site: André, le roi de la nuit, est un petit prince. December 31, 2010. Lefigaro.fr. June 23, 2018.
  13. Web site: André Saraiva Exits L'Officiel Hommes. Laure. Guilbault. June 27, 2015. Wwd.com. June 23, 2018.
  14. Web site: OnePlus 8 André Limited Edition Protective Case. www.oneplus.com. 2020-05-27.
  15. Spiers, Katherine (April 15, 2015) "Artist "Mr. Andre" Pays Fine For Vandalizing Joshua Tree National Park." KCET. org. (Retrieved Apr 16, 2015.)
  16. Web site: LA Times. touch.latimes.com. June 23, 2018.
  17. Web site: Is Mr. Andre tagging in Joshua Tree?. Modern Hiker . February 27, 2015 . Casey . Schreiner.
  18. Web site: Mr. Andre issues legal threat to Modern Hiker. Modern Hiker . March 10, 2015 . Casey . Schreiner.
  19. Web site: Uffie Engaged to Monsieur Andre – The Whole Story.
  20. Web site: Lou Doillon X Andre X Romantics Cazals. Trendland. 6 August 2008 . 2015-09-28.
  21. Web site: André Saraiva's Short Film, a Shoe-In for The Standard. 2015-09-28.
  22. Web site: Shoe In: Andre Saraiva's Short Film The Shoe Premiered Last Night at The Standard. www.papermag.com. 2015-09-28.
  23. Web site: Le Baron's André Saraiva Goes Shoe Crazy. 30 June 2011 . 2015-09-28.
  24. Web site: André Saraiva – Deadliest Catch Short Film Video. Freshness Mag. 2015-09-28.
  25. Web site: Skater's Paradise. www.nowness.com. 2015-09-28.
  26. Web site: TV BABY: "WILD JOY" (OFFICIAL VIDEO) MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES NOISEY. 2015-09-28.
  27. Web site: Last Night at the Chelsea Hotel by André Saraiva – purple TELEVISION. 2015-09-28.
  28. Web site: Berluti's Club Swann, by André Saraiva, Benjamin Millepied and Derek Blasberg at La Samaritaine. 2015-09-28. Vogue. English. 16 September 2015 .
  29. Web site: André Saraiva. IMDb. 2015-09-28.

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