Urban Karma (unique) 3/8, 2016

Speedy Graphito   Best sellers Emerging artists

Speedy Graphito, whose real name is Olivier Rizzo, is a French visual artist born in 1961 in Paris. He is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of street art in France and has been a key figure in the movement since the 1980s. A graduate of the École Estienne in 1983, he began his career within the X-Moulinex collective before fully dedicating himself to his solo practice in 1984. He quickly took over urban spaces with a distinctive style that combines stencils, painting, humor, and pop culture references.

His artistic universe draws from free figuration, comic books, manga, video games, and advertising iconography, including Disney imagery, which he often subverts to question their influence on collective imagination. His character "Lapinture" has become a recurring symbol in his body of work. With irony and sharpness, the artist explores visual codes of consumer society, delivering a playful yet critical interpretation of the contemporary world.

Speedy Graphito works across a range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, video, photography, performance, and digital art. His iconic murals are visible throughout Paris and many other cities worldwide. His work has been shown in numerous prestigious galleries and institutions both in France and internationally. Among his major exhibitions are "Un Art de Vivre" at the Musée du Touquet-Paris-Plage in 2016, "Les Mondes Imaginaires" at the Musée en Herbe in Paris in 2021, and "La Grande Illusion" at Fluctuart in 2024, an immersive experience acclaimed by critics.

He is also represented by international galleries such as Fabien Castanier Gallery in Los Angeles and Miami, Kolly Gallery in Zurich, and Cohle Gallery in Paris. In 2016, his painting "Art is Fight" set a sales record at the Tajan auction house, selling for 58,500 euros, confirming his status as a major figure in contemporary urban art. His pieces often pay homage to great masters like Van Gogh, Mondrian, Miró, and Dalí, while maintaining his vibrant and impactful visual style.

His work serves as a critical mirror of our times—engaged, poetic, and accessible to a broad audience.