The 25 Best Murals of 2013

Space played a big role in this year's murals, where street artists shaped their works around specific sites, engaging with dimensions and designs of buildings to put up impressive pieces. Some artists tackled walls that are outstanding in scale alone. Others used depth and shading to create the illusion of dimensions on a flat surface. Jaz, Axel Void, eL Seed, Hyuro, Escif, and JR all challenged us to think about the use of space differently, whether it was taking over Times Square or an abandoned building.

Other artists took this year to reflect on social concerns. Jaz, Swoon, and LNY used Occupy Gezi, Hurricane Sandy, and Monsanto (respectively) as part of their visual dialogues in 2013. These works were dotted across the map as mural festivals in Montreal, South Africa, Las Vegas, and other cities created hubs of street art activity around the world. From the top street artists across the globe, these are the The 25 Best Murals of 2013.

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Location: Paris

These days, everyone is obsessed with cats. At least that is the theory behind placing this several-stories-tall cat mural by artist C215 in Paris' 13th arrondissement. The mural now stands in the largely working class area to bring cheer, and of course, tourism to the neighborhood.

Location: Montreal

Roa never ceases to disappoint his fans, creating animals that are both detailed and massive in scale. For Montreal's Mural Festival, the Belgian the artist wisely used the space created the walls of two buildings. His bear's paws curl over the edge of an adjacent building, bringing his massive creatures to life.

Location: Paris

This year eL Seed's mural became a symbol for the stunning "La Tour Paris 13" exhibition, an example of the transformative power of art. The project gave 80 artists the opportunity to takeover apartments in a building prior to its demolition. In addition to painting the facade, eL Seed also painted four walls of one of the interior spaces.

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Vhils and Pixel Pancho collaborated on this wall in Lisbon, which brings out the strengths of each artist. The rusty cogs of Pixel alongside Vhils' chiseling technique create a seamless composition. The end result transforms the sturdy surface into one that appears to be beautifully decomposing.

Location: Cologne, Germany

Hendrik Beikirch, aka ECB, painted this mural in Cologne to accompany his solo show in the city. The artist produced yet another solid wall that tackles realism and scale with stunning results.

Location: New York

Times Square is typically known as an abyss of advertisements and a hell that most New Yorkers choose to avoid. This past spring that changed when JR's "Inside Out" project took over part of the pedestrian space for a few weeks. Through the use of a photobooth truck, the group wheatpasted images of New York's diverse visitors on the walkway.

Location: Atlanta

Typically, graffiti is portrayed as exclusionary by stories usually revolving around Lady Pink and the '70s. Droid, Amanda Wong, and Sarz TKG send a strong message of inclusion with their Free Chelsea Manning roller in Atlanta. Created at the height of many news outlets critiquing Manning's transition from Bradley to Chelsea, the group's message of inclusion and political activism is an important one.

Location: Los Angeles

The Hammer Museum commissioned Maya Hayuk to create a series of murals as a part of their ongoing "Hammer Projects" series. The walls mark huge milestones in the artist's career as both a major museum exhibition as well as her first solo show in the US. The weaving neon patterns in this particular mural represent the tame end of Hayuk's neon-colored spectrum, an artist who is often inspired by psychedelic themes.

Location: Atlanta

JR wheatpasted a photograph of Civil Rights protesters as a part of the Living Walls Atlanta mural conference. The piece commemorates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Atlanta native Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famed "I Have a Dream" speech. By applying his signature style to historical timeliness, JR's wall brings attention to an important date that is of local and national importance.

Location: Las Vegas

Alexis Diaz of La Pandilla painted this memento mori skull and snail during a Las Vegas mural conference. The sketchy figurative details contrast with the background, mimicking the surrounding desert, to make this mural one of the artist's 2013 standouts.

Location: Rochester, NY

The scale and imagery carry as much weight as the meaning behind Ever's mural for Wall Therapy. Essay On The Symbolism Of The Flag And Its Social Consequences applies the artist's stylized masks and kaleidoscopic abstractions to discuss the significance of our countries' symbols. Art historical analysis aside, the piece also adds a huge punch of color to Rochester's urban surroundings.

Location: Miami

A few months prior to the Art Basel Miami Beach madness, Ukrainian duo Interesni Kazki painted an entire building in the Wynwood district. Similar to Ever's mural, Aec and Waone add some much needed flora and fauna to the surrounding industrial neighborhood. The addition of a bright grassy background on every side of the building makes this a standout piece from the duo.

Location: Bologna, Italy

The minute details that make up this multi-story mural by Blu are impressive in their own right as hundreds of tiny people engage in battle. However, this is more than just any battle, but a Sci-Fi fan's dream—a homage to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars unfolds.

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

In conjunction with a dual exhibition, Axel Void and Jaz collaborated on this mural in Buenos Aires. The pair prove exactly what all collaborations should be, a seamless integration of two styles. The combination of color palette, dark undertones, and painterly details makes this mural more than just an exhibition promotion.

Location: San Francisco

This summer Aryz painted this farm girl in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. The color palette and folksy subject matter make for a transformative mural in the urban city. At the age of only 24, but with a decade of painting under his belt, Aryz has his created another hit with this West Coast wall.

Location: Rochester, NY

The message of Faith47's mural for this year's Wall\Therapy festival comes from the Latin phrase Sic Semper Erat, Et Sic Semper Erit, or "thus has it always been, and thus shall it ever be." The classical font and quotation are accompanied by figurative imagery that are typical, but no less astounding. Faith47's partner, artist DALeast, painted the adjacent wall.

Location: Košice, Slovakia

Chilean artist INTI has created a style all his own, defined by hieroglyphics and round-nosed figures. Soul Food brings all of these characteristics together in a playful composition. Additionally, the location of the festival adds a bit of color to an area not traditionally known for street art.

Location: Antwerp, Belgium

With this wall Phlegm still maintains the darkness that viewers associate with his work without employing his signature character. This piece imagines the creation of the world, which is rife with intricate details. Various patterns, lunar elements, and plant life inhabit every detail of this work, making it something viewers can endlessly enjoy.

Location: Istanbul

Uno Contro Uno, or "One Against One," was painted by Jaz during the height of the riots in Taksim Gezi Park, Turkey. Arriving during the chaos, the artist disregarded his previous sketches and chose to reflect the people's plight in his mural. The red paint, Ottoman armor, and embattled imagery all symbolize this time in the country's history.

Location: Montreal

This piece appeals to viewers on every level. Aesthetically, the galaxy print in the arms and LNY's signature sketchy style and eagle head are beautiful. The mural also satisfies viewers looking for meaning behind the visuals; the artist's mural discusses the connections between the Americas, using corn as a symbol.

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

The wall, by sheer scale, is astounding at 271 meters, roughly 889 feet. Befitting of the segmented structure, each panel of the mural has been turned into a still in a stop-motion video. When an onlooker drives by the mural, in under a minute, the piece comes to life as deer move through rain, forests, and snow.

Location: Brooklyn

For the first time in several years, the 200-foot wall adorning Factory Fresh was painted in conjunction with All City Canvas' Global Series. The mural was Smithe's first in both the city and the United States, making it a momentous work not only for its size.

Location: Montreal

Escif's wall was one of the standouts of the Mural Festival in Montreal this year. His use of depth and space effectively transforms the site, giving it an illusion of three dimensions. The artist perfectly demonstrates how muralism draws on old ideas, such as tromp l'oeil, to innovate.

Location: Woodstock, South Africa

Initially, this wall was simply a part of a series of murals Gaia was completing in South Africa until a disapproving local white-washed the piece. Always looking to engage with the communities where he works, the artist took this as an opportunity to start a dialogue. Over the buff, he added a hand with an eraser with the accompanying text "revisionisme, uit te vee," or "to erase revisionism" in Afrikaans.

Location: New York

The collaboration between Swoon and Groundswell pays tribute to the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy with "Recovery Diaspora." Swoon got together with locals affected by the storm to encourage reflection and rebuilding. The mural transforms the famed wall at Bowery and Houston Streets into a mark of the city's progress.