Art in the wider context has always had the power to break down boundaries. Street art takes this paradigm further, binding a global community of image-makers through a common, passionate motivation to change the environment through a monumentally diverse palette of self-expression.
That sense of a shared outlook, brought the 'Next Big Thing' in street art nearly 7,000 miles, from her home in Hurlingham, just outside Buenos Aires, to the back streets of Turnpike Lane, London. At the tender age of 23, Argentine street artist Fio Silva has found herself swept along on a surreal, all expenses paid, fairy tale of picture book wanderlust - with a panel of judges (Bri Patty, Stuart Holdsworth from Inspiring City, Ayaan Bulale the founder of Femme Fierce, Ingrid Beazley the curator of the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery and photographer Alexandra Henry) selecting her work from a talent search which spanned over forty countries, and in excess of 100 applicants; Silva's work will be juxtaposed with the great and good of the street art scene. Having never owned a passport, or travelled beyond her native South America, this coquettish, gifted painter will now make her mark, visiting a number or european locations, culminating in a spot at Femme Fierce Reloaded, on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2015.
That sense of a shared outlook, brought the 'Next Big Thing' in street art nearly 7,000 miles, from her home in Hurlingham, just outside Buenos Aires, to the back streets of Turnpike Lane, London. At the tender age of 23, Argentine street artist Fio Silva has found herself swept along on a surreal, all expenses paid, fairy tale of picture book wanderlust - with a panel of judges (Bri Patty, Stuart Holdsworth from Inspiring City, Ayaan Bulale the founder of Femme Fierce, Ingrid Beazley the curator of the Dulwich Outdoor Gallery and photographer Alexandra Henry) selecting her work from a talent search which spanned over forty countries, and in excess of 100 applicants; Silva's work will be juxtaposed with the great and good of the street art scene. Having never owned a passport, or travelled beyond her native South America, this coquettish, gifted painter will now make her mark, visiting a number or european locations, culminating in a spot at Femme Fierce Reloaded, on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2015.
At the heart of this enterprise is a group called The Spring Projects; their manifesto 'to bring back smiles and hope on the streets with simple small street art ideas'. TAG totally concur with this simple, elegant working ethos. Likewise, Fio Silva's love of 'animals in fusion with organic things like leaves, branches, trees …' dovetails with our own championing of the natural world as a means to soften the urban landscape. Her flowing, sinuous artworks simply course with life and positive energy. And so it was, in early March 2015, a girl called Fio brought her smile to N15, London.
All artwork, text and images © Turnpike Art Group 2022.
