Since 2010 I have worked as an artist under the pseudonym Frank / Frank Streetart, yet my artistry extends beyond that. I have a bachelor's degree in communications and graphic design at Swedish University West and Berghs School of Communication.
However, maybe everything started as early as the mid-80s hip-hop culture and as it spread its wings from the streets of New York all the way to the doors of Swedish households. Filled with the cool street-based-inspiration I did what you as a typical Swede would do back in 1989; waited patiently in line for a spot at a not-so-street-based study circle of the arts of graffiti. There everything could easily have ended since my lack of talent made an imaginary promising career as a 12-year-old graffiti artist short and not so sweet.
A few years later, in the mid-90s, I discovered stencil artists such as Banksy, Blek Le Rat and Shepard Fairey. Immediately, I fell in love with their artistic expression. Even though it has been a relationship of roughly 30 years it has been a somewhat on-and-off sort relationship - or It’s Complicated - between me and the crafts of art.
Today, I am proud to be considered one of the most prominent stencil artists on the Swedish West Coast, and I have been fortunate enough to have my art exhibited all over Sweden.
What about the artistry?
I am driven by the contrast between the unexpected and the traditional. Mostly, I combine Swedish nature and industrial history with modern street art. For me, it is essential to connect places to their history as well as to their present. The freedom of street art gives me immense opportunities to include that interconnection in the creative process.
A common theme in my art is portraying people and animals. Telling stories and illuminating human destinies are crucial to me. At the same time, sometimes you must allow yourself to just be lost in the simplest of things; such as in the eyes of a cute cat.
In my artistry, I draw inspiration from artists such as Shepard Fairey and Blek Le Rat as well as Swedish artists Jesper Waldersten and Bruno Liljefors. I enjoy combining classic art, abstract contemporary art and modern street art. It is the interaction between these styles and techniques that I find inspirational.
The best way to get in touch with me is to contact me on Instagram: Frank Streetart on Instagram