Français
JO DI BONA
Mixed media on panel
Dimensions: 20 × 20 × 5 cm
Signed
Certificate of authenticity
/// JO DI BONA ///
An emblematic figure of the French street art scene, Jo Di Bona owes his rapid rise to his unique technique that he developed in the 1990s: “Pop Graffiti.” In this approach, he combines collage, various influences from graffiti, and the visual codes of Pop Culture, which have deeply shaped his artistic universe. A modern-day Fauvist, Jo blends color and movement to create expressive portraits filled with poetry and emotion.
Winner of the prestigious EDF Foundation Graffiti Prize in 2014, he has since exhibited internationally, performing live artworks and creating large-scale murals. Jo Di Bona is also among the first street artists in the world to have exhibited at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in January 2017. He is featured among the 25 international artists included in the Guide de l’Art Contemporain Urbain (2019/2020/2022/2023/2024), has notably appeared on the front page of The New York Times, and is regularly highlighted by the media (radio, press, and television).
His work has been published in numerous art books, and in May 2024 he released his first monograph with Gallimard // Alternatives. He was also officially appointed ambassador for the volunteers of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
/// ARTWORK ANALYSIS ///
In this contemporary interpretation of the famous Mona Lisa, Jo Di Bona confronts an icon of art history with the aesthetics of street art. The portrait emerges from a layered composition of collages, typographic elements, and bursts of vivid color that evoke urban walls covered with posters and graffiti.
The contrast between the black-and-white treatment of the face and the colorful splashes creates a dynamic composition in which the different visual layers interact. This accumulation of materials and images gives the work both a graphic and spontaneous quality.
Through this reinterpretation, the artist brings together classical artistic heritage and contemporary urban culture.
