Basto

Born in 1973, Basto lives and works in Paris. Renowned for his hybrid style between graffiti, urban art and contemporary painting, he is a pioneer of the graffiti scene in Marseille; the first to paint three metro stations in 1991, with his RTM (Réseau des Tagueurs Marseillais) team. Since the mid-90s, he has been slowly abandoning the street to concentrate on canvas, a medium he believes will help urban art gain recognition in closed artistic circles. His Mediterranean origins inspire his colorful compositions, mixing warm, primary colors, mainly blue, yellow and red. His many travels also fuel his creativity, notably New York, where he took up a three-month residency. Many of his works can be found in private and/or public collections in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Florida, France (MuCEM, MoLA), New Zealand, New Caledonia and Switzerland.