Aiiroh

Street Birkin Bag

2018

Aiiroh is a French pop/street artist. At a young age, he started as a graffiti artist in train stations in several cities. Soon after, he was introduced to stencil work which made it possible to create art faster on the street. With the guidance of a friend, he eventually discovered the work of the “affichistes” such as Raymond Hains, Villeglé, Dufrêne and Rotella. The latter became a real obsession for the artist. "I take great inspiration from this movement which has a great poetic dimension for me. I sometimes spend whole nights wandering to find and snatch the poster that I like. I think I add a touch of optimism and color and do not like to politicize my work, but now more than ever, my artistic practice of affichiste finds an echo to the exhibition of 1961 of Hains which moved me a lot, "France in shreds,” he says. In some of his works, Aiiroh incorporates brands to remind us of current trends and how they may influence our daily lives. The anarchy of dripping, the turbulence of the compositions come to stand in contrast with the pure lines of the graphics of the brand logo, but also of the famous LOVE of the American artist Indiana. Does the graphic strength of these logos also have an effect on our collective unconscious as well as on our aesthetic codes? he ponders. For several years, he has been exhibited in some 20 galleries in France as well as internationally (Switzerland, Italy, UK, Greece, Israel, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan). His latest accomplishments have been commissions from large brands such as Ferrari. "Thanks to Banksy and before him Blek le Rat, young street artists like me can have the visibility they would never have before. The works that were intended before to some passers-by in a dark alley, can today be seen by more people. Social networks, especially Instagram, play a big part in the rise and the explosion of street art. I define myself as a street artist but also a pop artist, in the original sense of "popular", which brings to life the culture of the street. I like the irony and to play with the references and icons that touch and unite my generation. I most often try to keep a spirit of love and optimism," he says.