Yayoi Kusama, 2022

Ysy  

YSY, whose real name is Youssef Sy, is a French artist born in the Paris region in 1982. He began his career in 2003 within the Havas Media group as a web designer, before developing from 2006 an artistic universe nourished by the pop culture of the 80s and 90s. Inspired by Franco-Belgian comics, manga and pop art aesthetics, he shapes a vivid, impactful and profoundly contemporary graphic signature.

His work quickly attracted the attention of major brands, notably Lacoste, which produced and distributed a capsule collection of YSY products dedicated to tennis champion Novak Djokovic. For three years, Djokovic wore this collection at tournaments and press conferences, allowing YSY's design to travel the globe, reinforced by displays in the windows of iconic boutiques, such as the Lacoste Store in Soho, New York.

In 2021, YSY also made its mark in Web3: six of its physical works accompanied by their NFTs were auctioned at the first Art & Crypto gala of Forbes Monaco for more than $200,000.

A highly sought-after artist in the sports world, he held one of his most significant exhibitions in July 2024: 90 monumental paintings presented at Club France during the Paris Olympic Games, attracting over 650,000 visitors. His work was also exhibited in Tokyo that same year.

Today, YSY exhibits regularly in Paris, Lyon, Toulon and internationally. At the crossroads of street art, pop culture and sport, he has established himself as a major figure in the contemporary urban art scene.