BustArt rolled from the streets of Switzerland to the walls of Richmond, VA
bustArt is a Swiss street artist who has been painting murals and graffiti since 1999. He started with classic graffiti but eventually adopted a new style that combined pop art, classic graffiti, cartoons and bright colors, which he called “graffiti-pop”. Over the years he has honed his skills and has traveled the world painting murals, making memories and making new friends in the process.
And one of those cities is Richmond, VA. BustArt recently took a three-week trip to the US with his manager Thierry and fellow artist Some1, visiting New York, Richmond and Miami – and his time in Richmond left a big impression.
ed. Note: Recently, this mural was found to violate the Richmond Commission of Architectural Review (CAR) standards and is scheduled for removal. If you have any questions or would like to express support for the art, please get in touch [email protected] or call 804-646-6304!
Photo of Ben White
“This was my second time to Richmond and I can’t wait to return,” says BustArt. “It is a quiet place that offers a great variety of nature and art. I was very surprised to see so many high quality murals in this city, painted by some of the leading artists in this art form.”
Photo of Ben White
BustArt was in Richmond to paint a commissioned wall with his friend and street artist from Richmond Nils Westgard. Unfortunately, due to a tragic accident, the project was put on hold, but Nils came through with another wall to paint next to Deliver RVAa new street art supplies store.
“Nils is an outstanding artist and a humble person,” says BustArt. “I met him in Amsterdam, I think 8 years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Photo of Ben White
And what about that Richmond Wall? Well BustArt says it was the perfect experience. “The sun was shining, the 4° in New York became 14°. My wall was in full sun all day, so needless to say I had a hell of a time painting this wall. The owner was super friendly and I just had the perfect time during this whole painting session.”
For a muralist, the size of the wall doesn’t always matter. It’s the story behind it that makes it special. And for BustArt, his history in Richmond is a good one. Hopefully it rolls through again soon.
Check out more of his work artofbust.com
Photos from Ben White
I founded Richmond, Virginia’s cultural publication RVA Magazine, and brought the first Richmond Mural Project to town. Designed the first stamp for Richmond’s First Fridays Artwalk and promoted the citywide “RVA” brand before the city adopted it as its official nickname. I threw a few parties. Many magazines printed. Met so many amazing people along the way. Professional work: www.majormajor.me
