MonkeyBird is a French artist duo from the contemporary street art scene. Created in 2012, the Monkey Bird Crew (MBC) collective is formed by two young artists from Bordeaux, Temor and Blow the Bird, also known as The Blow. Louis and Édouard, two friends and associated street artists, express themselves with a unique style and develop a visually distinctive universe.
Monkeys, birds, landscapes, citadels, and symbols are enhanced by black, white, and gold lines drawn with remarkable precision. Their work takes the form of a philosophical fable that poetically and sensitively evokes the human condition and the contemporary world.
Recognized stencil artists for the finesse of their hand-cutting technique, MonkeyBird stands out for their demanding and meticulous approach. Their specialty lies in the representation of complex metaphysical architectures in which the Bird, embodied by Blow, and the Monkey, represented by Temor, coexist.
Their work is inspired by treatises on geometry, mechanics, cosmology, and astronomy. This intellectual dimension feeds structured compositions where perspective, rosettes, interlacing patterns, and architectural constructions play a central role. They showcase their universe on different mediums and supports, sometimes integrating illumination and calligraphy, thus enhancing the graphic richness of their works.
The Bird and the Monkey constitute the narrative core of MonkeyBird's work. Like in classical fables, these animal figures reflect our own human concerns. The Bird symbolizes the desire for freedom and elevation, while the Monkey evokes the material and bodily attachments from which humans struggle to detach themselves.
The duo also harbors the obsession of reintroducing an animal presence on city walls. This symbolic dimension gives their work a rare depth in the landscape of contemporary street art.
While MonkeyBird invests in city walls in places like Paris, where they live, Lille, Bordeaux, Amsterdam, New Delhi, and several cities in Mexico, they also produce works on different recycled materials such as wood, metal, or glass, as well as on paper.
Their universe interacts with other major figures of street art present at Gallery 125, notably Shepard Fairey for graphic rigor and Invader for a strong visual identity. However, MonkeyBird stands out with a particularly sophisticated architectural and ornamental approach.
The signed screen prints and editions by MonkeyBird faithfully translate the precision of their stencil work and the symbolic richness of their mural work. The quality of execution, the complexity of lines, and the coherence of their universe enhance the interest in their works in the contemporary urban art market.
At Gallery 125, MonkeyBird's artworks are carefully selected and presented with precision to ensure clear information regarding the technique, dimensions, and conservation status.
Acquiring a work by MonkeyBird means choosing a strong signature in contemporary street art, based on technical mastery, symbolic depth, and an immediately recognizable visual architecture.
