Speedy Graphito
Speedy Graphito (born 1961), real name Olivier Rizzo, is a pioneer of Parisian street art, with a pop, colourful universe drawn from cartoons, video games and art history. Original screenprints and hand-finished unique works are presented below.
Speedy Graphito
Forty years of pop and Parisian street art
Born in Paris on 20 July 1961, Olivier Rizzo, known as Speedy Graphito, is among the pioneers of French street art. Since the early 1980s, he has blended cartoon heroes, popular culture icons and references to art history into a joyful, exuberant universe. His original screenprints and hand-finished unique works are presented above.
From Parisian stencil to free figuration: the career of Speedy Graphito
Trained at the École supérieure des arts graphiques Penninghen, Speedy Graphito began working on the walls of Paris in 1983 and belongs to the first generation of Parisian urban art, alongside Jérôme Mesnager and Miss.Tic. In 1985, he designed the poster for La Ruée vers l'art, an event organised by the Ministry of Culture. Close to the spirit of Figuration Libre, he became associated with artists such as Robert Combas and Hervé Di Rosa. His works have been shown in numerous galleries and institutions, in France and abroad.
A pop universe: Mickey, Bart Simpson and nods to Warhol
Speedy Graphito's world resembles a vast playground where Mickey, Bart Simpson, Pac-Man and masterpieces by Matisse, Warhol or Basquiat cross paths. Bright colours, sharp outlines and dense compositions: each work is a witty treasure hunt that also questions consumer society and the place of images in our lives. Stencil, paint, screenprint, sculpture: he moves from one technique to another with the same energy.
Speedy Graphito at Galerie 125
The gallery currently offers, above:
- The original screenprint Bart Simpson, Board to be wild, from 2021.
- The original screenprint Love, from 2020.
- Unique works from 2017, acrylic and screenprint hand-finished: Urban Karma and Urban Love.
Each work is described in detail and sold with a certificate of authenticity invoice. You can purchase it online: it reaches you quickly, carefully packed, by tracked and insured delivery. Another figure of urban art to discover: JonOne.
Which work should you choose to discover Speedy Graphito?
Signed and numbered screenprints are a great entry point into his universe. Hand-finished unique works add the energy of the artist's gesture.
What is a hand-finished unique work?
On a screenprinted base, the artist intervenes in acrylic: each piece is therefore different and exists in only one copy.
What are the themes of Speedy Graphito?
Cartoon heroes, video game characters and reinterpretations of great masters of art history.