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If you are traveling to New York, be sure to enjoy walking around the city. You will surely be excited by the large-scale street art. It is enough to just walk around taking pictures of the typical New York scenery, but you will enjoy it even more if you know what goes on behind the scenes of the works. So, we asked a local writer to introduce "the street art you should see now".
*Please make use of the map at the bottom of the article.

Kimiko Kirie
A writer living in New York. Food and art are her specialties. Her works include the novel collection "Otsuki-san" (Shogakukan), the essay collection "Oshiri no Matsuge" (Little More), and "Taika Ue Kojirase Nikki" (published on Shogakukan's literary website "Shosetsumaru"). She is currently in the process of publishing a non-fiction book about Japanese immigrants to Canada.
New York, the epicenter of art
New York is home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which boasts some of the world's largest collections, the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), the Guggenheim Museum, and many other museums where opera, ballet, musicals, etc. can be performed. You can enjoy the highest quality and cutting-edge art in every genre.

Perhaps it is because our eyes and ears are sharpened by being exposed to such art, or perhaps it is because people with already sharp eyes and ears are drawn to New York, but one of the characteristics of New York is that it attracts many people who have a deep love and understanding of art. You can come across various art displays everywhere, such as on street corners, inside train stations, and in the subway.
One of these is street art, where artists have escaped from museums and galleries and are now showing their talents under the open sky.
In the past, street art was often seen as a way to vent anger towards society, but now it has become a way to raise important messages for society, such as peace and equality. For this reason, public organizations and non-profit organizations have begun to support artists. Thanks to this, you can now enjoy great art on the street corner without having to go to a museum or gallery. Let me introduce some of them.
Kelsey Montague invites you into the mural
First up, we have Kelsey Montague, an internationally acclaimed street artist.
Kelsey has started her own project called "What Lifts You" and continues to paint fun and dreamy murals.

Hilton Midtown 1335 6th Ave New York New York
This is a bee wing on the wall of the Hilton Hotel in Midtown. It is decorated with New York elements. If you stand in front of it and take a photo, you can make a fun New York souvenir photo.
EQUALITY LIFTS by Kelsey Montague ©Kelsey Montague
Unfortunately, this mural in Nolita (a district in downtown Manhattan) is no longer there, but it is a typical Kelsey mural. It is not one-way but interactive; when you stand in front of it, it looks like you have bird or butterfly wings growing on your back or are flying in a balloon. By participating, you can complete the mural.

Photo: Courtney Montague ©Courtney Montague
At the corner of @10th Avenue & 29th Street
One of New York's tourist attractions, the High Line, is an elevated walkway stretching over 2 kilometers, built on the remains of an abandoned railroad track. You can see Kelsey's murals around 29th Street.
This piece is also filled with symbols of New York, such as skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty, musical masks, and yellow cabs. When you pose in front of it, it looks like a heart is flying out of your mouth. Kelsey says this piece is a "love letter" to New York.
Hectad, the artist who sends hearts flying all over New York
Well, when I hear the word heart, I think of street artist Hektad. He's flying colorful hearts on the streets of New York. Hektad, who continues to draw lovely romantic pictures, is a native New Yorker from the Bronx.

UNTITLED by Hektad
55 East Houston Street New York New York
This is a mural in Nolita, painted on the wall of a bagel shop on the corner of East Houston Street and Mott Street.

LOVE IS LOVE by Hektad
2WTC campus (Corner of Vesey Street & Greenwich Street)
This is Hectad's work at the proposed site of Two World Trade Center.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey asked the developer if they could do anything to enliven the area, and Hectad and a number of other street artists, including Todd Gray and Stickymonger, were invited to decorate the walls and blocks surrounding the construction site with happy, colorful murals. Hectad's mural on the north side of the site brightens up the area with splashes of color.
Graffiti-inspired Indy 184
Now, let's introduce another female street artist who is active in New York.
NOT BAD FOR A GIRL by Indie184
Ridge Hotel 151 East Houston Street New York New York (Eldridge Street side)
Soraya Marquez, aka Indie184, is known for her colorful and energetic graffiti. This mural features Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in West Side Story. At first, you might think it was graffiti because of the bubbles and other things that were drawn on it, but in fact, this is her style. Her style is to use lots of colorful colors, with graffiti and bubbles scattered all over the place.
By the way, her artist name Indy184 comes from her favorite movie, Indiana Jones, and the 184th Street (Washington Heights) neighborhood in Manhattan where she grew up. Washington Heights is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood where many Dominican immigrants live, and Soraya is also a Dominican New Yorker.
Faith 47 quietly conveys a powerful message
AEQULITAS By Faith47
244 East 44th Street New York New York
And here is another mural by female artist Faith47, titled "Aequalitas" (Latin for "equality"). It is a work that appeals for equality in the workforce for women. It was created as part of a program in partnership with the ILO (International Labor Organization) by Street Art for Mankind, a non-profit organization that aims to promote social change through street art.
Faith 47 is from South Africa and is talented in a variety of fields including murals, sculpture, video installations, tapestries, and paintings. Her style is characterized by subdued and calm colors.
Collage Master Tristan Eaton
There are many organizations that support street art, including Street Art for Mankind, but one in particular is the Little Italy Street Art Project, or LISA for short. It is a non-profit organization that aims to transform urban spaces through murals, and through this project, many wonderful murals have been created. Here is one of them.
AUDREY OF MULBERRY by Tristan Eaton
176 Mulberry Street New York New York (Corner of Broome and Mulberry Streets)
This mural of Audrey Hepburn by the prolific American artist Tristan Eaton can be found on the wall of Cafe Roma in Little Italy.
Eaton's murals are striking collages of vibrant colors that tell a story. He creates original art and design pieces for major clients such as Reebok, Nike, Universal Studios, and the luxury watch brand Hublot.
Just a minute or two's walk west from the Audrey Hepburn mural on Broome Street towards Soho you'll find another Eaton mural.
BIG CITY OF DREAMS by Tristan Eaton
391 Broome Street New York New York
Painted on the wall facing the parking lot is "Big City of Dreams." This was also created as part of the LISA project, and features a collage of New York icons that is typical of Eaton.
Eaton also created a 100-foot-tall mural on Fifth Avenue, painted on the side of a building in the Nomad neighborhood at the request of a property management company.
The GILDED LADY by Tristan Easton
236 Fifth Avenue New York New York
Titled "The Gilded Lady," the theme is the rich history of the NoMad district during the Gilded Age, a time in the late 19th century when capitalism developed rapidly in America and millionaires who made their fortunes through oil, steel, and railroads lived lavish lives.
Tristan chose Evelyn Nesbitt, a model, chorus girl and actress of the time who lived in the Nomad area and whose beauty landed her on the covers of numerous magazines, but who later found herself embroiled in scandal.
Eaton incorporated scenes from this era into Evelyn's costumes and hats. By the way, this photo of Evelyn at the age of 18 (below) is actually a photo that Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, cut out from a magazine, stuck on her wall, and used as a model for Anne Shirley, without knowing who she was.
Rudolf Eickemeyer, Jr. - Metropolitan Magazine
Eduardo Kobra, a global color expert
Next up is Eduardo Kobra, a Brazilian street artist who is self-taught in painting and based in São Paulo, where he works worldwide.
PEACE THROUGH LIBERTY - ROY LICHTENSTEIN by Eduardo Kobra
221 East 44th Street New York New York
Through his "Colors of Liberty" project, Cobra speaks out against various social issues, including violence and gun control.
Titled "Peace Through Freedom," the mural features Roy Lichtenstein, one of the most famous pop artists alongside Andy Warhol, and borrows from Lichtenstein's signature techniques of bright primary colors, dots, stripes and speech bubbles.
TOLERANCE by Eduardo Kobra
130 10th Avenue New York New York
The mural, titled "Tolerance," depicts Mother Teresa and Gandhi, humanitarians who dedicated their lives to India. It is visible from the High Line (between 15th and 16th Streets) and is well-received by many. It features colorful geometric patterns in a kaleidoscope style that is characteristic of Cobra.
Outdoor murals can convey messages to an unspecified number of people. Cobra says he uses his murals to raise questions and find answers about how to make the world a better place.

WELCOME TO Eduardo Kobra
2World Center @ Church Street between Vesey and Fulton Streets
This is a new mural that was painted on the site of the proposed Two World Trade Center after the pandemic. There are quite a few murals in the area, so you can take in the view at your leisure.
Cobra depicts five women representing Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, praying for world peace. A thousand paper cranes painted on a concrete block also convey a message for peace. There are many such works appealing for peace in this area.
When you walk around New York, you will come across murals in various places, such as the roofs of candy shops, shop shutters, the walls of schools and office buildings, etc. The styles range from cheerful and carefree to serious and realistic, and the artists are trying to convey their own messages with their own individuality.
One way to enjoy New York is to wander around looking for murals. Even while sightseeing or shopping, you might come across a mural by chance if you look around you.
Original Map of New York Street Art
References
Kelsey Montague
Hektad: @hektad._official
The Two World Trade Center Murals Project
Indie184
FAITH47
Street Art For Mankind
LISA Project NYC
Tristan Easton
Tristan Easton "Gilded Lady"
Eduardo Kobra
Related article
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.