Know Hope Shares the 10 Artists Who Inspire His Street Art

We speak to the Tel-Aviv-based street artist who has made a name for himself painting a mysterious character on walls around the world.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The Tel-Aviv-based street artist made a name for himself painting a mysterious character on walls around the world. Here, he discusses 10 artists who inspire his work.

This Feature Appears in Complex's August/September 2014 Issue

Know Hope is an artist whose simple pieces—which alternately include one-line poems, a crouching figure, doves, red hearts, flags, brick walls, and tree stumps—should not be reduced to their subject matter alone. These spare works typically follow a singular, skinny character on a difficult journey (where a wall crushes him or his arms are crossed over his face), which ultimately end in the character offering up positivity, hope, and open arms. Know Hope's short poems, which at most reach three lines, more deeply explore human struggle, especially when paired with this character or photographs he's taken in his hometown of Tel Aviv. In this way, his works also enter a political space, questioning ideas of nationalism and privacy, as seen in the Others' Truth zine he released in 2012.

Often called "The Israeli Banksy," Know Hope has done impressive projects on the street and in galleries and museums, including a two-floor installation with Lazarides Gallery's "BRUTAL" exhibition, a window piece for Urban Nation's PROJECT M, and an installation at The Roskilde Museum Of Contemporary Art. We interviewed Know Hope about the 10 artists who influence his work for Complex's August/September 2014 "The Big Ten" feature.

Watch our interview with Know Hope from POW! WOW! Hawaii street art festival earlier this year:

 

1. Raymond Pettibon

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2. Laurie Anderson

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3. Chris Johanson

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4. Swoon

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5. Jenny Holzer

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6. Francis Alÿs

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7. Stephen Powers

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8. John Fekner

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9. Barry McGee

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10. Shel Silverstein

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