French Street Artist JR Honoured With First Retrospective In Qatar

He’s pasted his ginormous black-and-white imagery on the exterior of Tate Modern, along the Seine and on the rooftops of Brazilian favelas. Now, acclaimed French artist JR is getting his first major Middle Eastern retrospective at Qatar Museums.
World-renowned for his distinctive use of photographic imagery that emphasises individuality regardless of race, gender, or culture, JR isn’t your average street artist. Rather, his ambitious large-scale urban interventions address pertinent political and societal issues.

JR’s Giants in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games

Using what he calls ‘the largest art gallery in the world’, JR employs the urban environment of cities around the world to create his ‘Pervasive Art’. Retaining a certain sense of anonymity, his evocative visual propositions invite questions from passersby instead of dictating specific messages.

The Wrinkles of the City, Istanbul, Kadir an, Turkey

‘The Wrinkles of the City, Los Angeles’ – ‘Robert’s eye’, Façade of Galerie Perrotin, Paris

Featuring many of his key works, the retrospective will introduce this important artist to a new audience, as well as giving fans the opportunity to experience his celebrated ephemeral pieces.

’28 Millimètres : Women Are Heroes’ Pasting in Monrovia streets, Liberia

In 2008, JR embarked on one of his most poignant projects, ‘Women Are Heroes’, which documented women living in areas of conflict. Instead of the harrowing photographs one might expect, JR’s powerful portraits portrayed resilient, spirited and animated characters who were surviving amidst unimaginable atrocity.

‘Inside Out, Au Panthéon!’, Dome, Paris, France

During a TED Conference in 2011 – at which he also received the prestigious TED Prize – JR initiated a global art project that would encompass people from all over the world. Through photographic portraits, the ‘Inside Out Project’ was created, narrating the untold stories of communities from more than 130 countries.

‘Unframed, An immigrant family views the Statue of Liberty from the Ellis Island Immigration Station dock’

JR exhibition at Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden, Germany

JR installation on the Louvre Pyramid, Paris

‘Unframed, a group posing in a bark moored on the beach, reviewed by JR, circa 1930, Marseille, France’

JR’s Retrospective will be held by Qatar Museums at QM Gallery Katara in Doha, 9 March to 31 May 2017.

About the author

Freire Barnes

Art & Design Editor

Born in the heart of London, Freire's been surrounded by art since childhood. From being mesmerised by Fra Angelico's frescos in Florence to experiencing Dali's Mae West room in Caduceus, Freire's extensive travels instilled a love of the arts. After studying painting she worked for David Bowie's, Bowieart and began to write for the BBC, Bon and Dazed &amp Confused. She curated the Converse x Dazed Emerging Artists Award and was one of the first cohort to graduate from the Royal College of Art's Critical Writing in Art &amp Design MA. When not at an art opening, she's excited to bring her global art discoveries to the Culture Trip's readers.