Mickey Has Fun, 2023

Fat   Emerging artists

In the Paris metro, it's not uncommon to come across a Looney Tunes character in the corridor. Dimitri Barilko, or FAT as he is known, street artist, turns this routine route into a treasure hunt where we follow cartoon characters and no longer stations.

Born in 1991 in Paris, this young artist first graduated with a CAP in photography before continuing his studies at the Lycée Brassai, a professional school for photography and image. He quickly began working on workshops and exhibitions, gaining experience in this way.

He has been actively painting since the 2000s, learning his craft on the streets alongside the artist Fast. He began his career primarily in lettering, but was already adept at photography and painting . In FAT's works, spray paint meets posca and acrylic.

The characters of his childhood accompany him through the underground railway network. Tom & Jerry get off at Villiers station, while Porky Pig arrives at Vincennes. These cartoons belong to the imagination of the artist's generation, born in the 1990s.

Although he primarily practices his art in the street or the subway, Fat has an eye for detail. The figures he depicts are arranged in front of a worked background, alternating between drips and the lettering he has not forgotten. The colors are enhanced and highlight the protagonists, devoid of any context.

The artist also scripts the actions of his cartoon heroes. On signage, stations, and subway maps, they are accompanied by spray cans reflecting their creator. Popeye trades his can of spinach and Snow White her poisoned apple for a spray can of paint. A meaningful exchange, as the artist uses symbols from childhood and replaces them with an artistic tool, his own tool of expression.