Graffiti Takeover in Joburg's Banking District

The City of Gold Urban Art Festival is happening all week in Joburg. I was planning an epic post at the end of the week with all the highlights, but I just realized that I’ve already taken far too many photos to fit into one post and the week isn’t even over yet. It looks like I’ll be doing a City of Gold Series.

Here are a few shots from the festival kick-off last Sunday, when several of the featured artists painted a temporary wall outside of the Absa Building on Main Street. Absa Bank is the corporate sponsor for City of Gold (Absa also sponsored the coinciding Joburg City Festival last weekend), and it was pretty cool watching these talented graffiti writers painting outside a big-bank skyscraper.

Absa Building

Early stages of the painting on Sunday at Absa.

Guys paitning at Absa

A trifecta of spraying hands. That’s my boyfriend Ray (a.k.a. Bias) in the foreground, with Veronika, Solo One, and Mr. Dheo in the background.

Absa and graffiti

Here’s some nice advertising for you, Absa. You can thank me later.

Falko chicken

Falko, a well-known graffiti artist from Cape Town.

Solo at Absa
Solo One, who is visiting Joburg from London.
Bias

Bias.

Wane painting

WANE, from New York City.

Veronika painting

Veronika, a local boy from Joburg.

I’m loving all the artists in this festival. I wish there were some ladies involved though. Do you hear me, artistically-inclined-girls? Go buy some spray cans and start painting walls.

Unfortunately this graffiti wall has already been taken down so you won’t be able to see it at Absa. But it’s on display now at the Grayscale Gallery in Braamfontein. And there is also a graffiti exhibition inside the Absa Gallery, which will be up for another few weeks.

Much more graffiti to come.