Embajadores district is probably the city center’s area that features the highest number of graffiti in Madrid. Whether legal or illegal, these are the writers who contributed to the street art in Lavapies.
Please note that the following graffitis in Lavapies may have been destroyed or partially covered by the time you read this article.
Who are the local artists working towards the development of the street art in Lavapies?
Cooltourspain is proud to promote and advertise local artists who are continuously contributing to the art scene in town. An incredible and unique art scene you can explore on our Madrid art walks through Lavapiés.
Street artists either participate at a legal festival like CALLE, or risk their time & money to paint the best street art in Lavapiés. This is a brief list that mentions some of them, obviously not all of them are included. If you want to understand the underground side of this scene, our guide to throw-up graffiti in Madrid goes deeper into that world.
- NSN997
- Ampparito
- El Rey de la Ruina
- Mr. Piro
- Pro176
- Nemo
- Hilda Palafox
- Me Lata
- Yipi Yipi Yeah
- Keru de Kolorz
1-. NSN997, Italian roots
We particularly like this Italian crew not only because of the awards that have recognized them as more than talented creators, but also because of the slogans that they usually add to their artworks.
It is interesting to observe that the faces featured in their pictures correspond in the majority of the cases to local people.
2-. Ampparito, the neighbor who creates street art in Lavapies
It’s been several times that we have featured him on Instagram @Ampparito.
He lives right in Embajadores district and according to his words “…it’s been a pleasure to contribute to the urban landscape of the area where I now live”.
These are some other locations where you may have seen his artwork, where he plays with the elements around him, creating such an impact in the viewer:
- Ekatimburg, Russia @ Stenograffia festival
- Basilea, Switzerland @ Colab Gallery.
- Milan, Italy @ Cox18.
3-. ‘El rey de la ruina’: Madrid-Barcelona connection
His hearts decorate metal shutters around Malasaña, Tetuan or Embajadores area. Just to mention some neighborhoods where you will observe his artworks.
El Rey de la Ruina suffers from ‘enlarged heart’ and it was when he was diagnosed with it when he started painting.
You may find this artwork close to El Rastro.
4-. Mr. Piro, emergent creator in the art scene
This article’s heading picture corresponds to a 24 years old artist known as Piro.
To us, he paints natural landscapes in which the drops are the society’s tears. Clouds which are full of emotions in which every visitor could see him/herself represented.
What does it mean to you? Check out the pieces of wood that the removal company is taking, because it could be worth at least couple thousand euros.
Are there any international artists who contributed to the street art in Lavapies?
Yes, there are.
Some of them are curated by MSAP, a social local project which has already brought international artists to paint at Madrid street art festivals in Lavapies, Malasaña, Villaverde, Rivas and Alcobendas, just to mention a few in our Autonomous Community.
Guillermo, Diana and Rocio commissioned several internationally known artists to contribute to the street art in Madrid, and we will show you who they are and what they painted.
5-. ‘Pro176‘, Graffiti’s French godfather
Influenced by American comic books and rap, this Parisian started painting at the age of 5. Urvanity art, an art Madrid project, brought him to a small & narrow street behind Mercado de San Fernando (Calle Tribulete, 18)
The Madrid street art map we curated featured his artwork, and also analyzed during our street art tours. Do you like his post-neocubism style?
6-. Nemo, the Italian ‘nobody’
This Italian artist will shake your ground from the first glance.
Did you know that his name ‘Nemo’ was taken from “Twenty thousand leagues under the sea”, and Winsor McKay’s first comic strips?
He swapped from graffiti writing to drawing because he wanted to express through images those things he couldn’t express with words. Interesting, huh?
7-. Hilda Palafox : from Mexico with love
Hilda Palafox brought from Mexico a great feminist speech.
Her murals talk about how vulnerable we are in the society and the strength we are required to have in order to survive.
Cooltourspain’s team picks for the street art in Lavapies.
Gerardo, Patri, Javi & Santi, as everybody else, have their own personal choices and preferences.
We asked our team members which were their favorites, and this is what came out from their minds…
8-. ‘Me Lata’, a recycled cans project based in Barcelona
Santiago loves the ephemeral art that these two activists anonymously create in the streets. Their artistic project is based in the ‘positivism’ and the love expression that they have for each other.
If you didn’t know, they’re engaged!
The Me Lata artwork shown in the picture might be found in Calle de Fray Ceferino Gonzalez.
9-. Yipi Yipi Yeah : such a curious and fancy name!
The pros and cons of street art in Madrid and its role in the city are perfectly represented by a local project called Yipi Yipi Yeah.
Patricia once asked them why they used the traffic signals to create their work, and this is what they answered.
“What if you don’t have the money to get inside a Museum? You would probably have less opportunities to develop your intelligence. Thus we add plastic vinyls to the traffic signals so that everybody has access to art, no matter what your economic status is.“
10-. Keru de Kolorz : the scribing master
The fine lines that Keru draws in his canvas is what really impressed Javier. Keru has won several art contests thanks to his drawing skills, using both hands to spray paint at the same time!
This local artist loves featuring cartoons, and these are some of the creations that we may see around Madrid city:
- Pinocchio
- Goofie
- Garfield
- Mickey
Our take on the writers who shape Lavapiés
The ten artists featured in this article represent only a fraction of what is happening in Lavapiés. The neighbourhood has been producing street art for decades, and the scene keeps renewing itself. Some writers stay underground by choice. Others cross over to galleries, festivals, and commissioned work. Most do both at different points in their career.
What we find most interesting is the relationship these artists have with the neighbourhood itself. Lavapiés is not a backdrop. It is the reason the work looks the way it does. The density, the politics, the mix of cultures, the pressure from gentrification — all of it ends up on the walls.
That is exactly why we built our street art tour around it. We do not show you murals from a distance. We talk about the people who made them, the context behind the work, and what the neighbourhood has gone through. Get in touch with us at +34638399784 or at info@cooltourspain.com to join one of our tours in Lavapiés.