Speedy Graphito (1961) - shadock

Speedy Graphito, whose real name is Olivier Rizzo, is a French visual artist born in 1961 in Paris. He is considered one of the pioneers of street art in France and has been an indispensable figure since the 1980s. A graduate of the École Estienne in 1983, he began his career with the X-Moulinex collective before fully dedicating himself to his personal approach from 1984. Very early on, he invaded urban space with a recognizable style that blends stencils, painting, humor, and popular references.

His artistic universe draws on Figurative Libre, comics, mangas, video games, but also advertising iconography and Disney, which he appropriates to denounce its impact on the collective imagination. The character "Lapinture," which he invented, quickly became a recurring icon in his work. The artist questions, with irony and sharpness, the visual codes of our consumer society, while offering a playful yet critical interpretation of the modern world.

Speedy Graphito deftly handles painting, sculpture, video, photography, performances, and digital art. He is the author of emblematic frescoes on the walls of Paris and many cities around the world. His works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and prestigious institutions, in France as well as abroad. Among his most notable exhibitions are "Un Art de Vivre" at the Musée du Touquet-Paris-Plage in 2016, his first major museum retrospective, "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.

His work is also presented in international galleries, such as Fabien Castanier Gallery in Los Angeles and Miami, Kolly Gallery in Zurich, or Cohle Gallery in Paris. In 2016, he set a record at a Tajan auction with his piece "Art is Fight," sold for €58,500, confirming his status as a major figure in contemporary urban art. In homage to the great masters of art history, he references Van Gogh, Mondrian, Miró, and even Dalí in his works, while maintaining an energetic, colorful, and impactful style.

His work is a critical mirror of our times, at once engaged, poetic, and accessible, which resonates strongly with a wide audience.