Look up... pointing up... Above

Above( 1981) often sticks his work high up in prominent positions overlooking the streets.


He started painting his name ABOVE on Californian trains but soon realized that the trains were moving too fast to instantly grab the viewer's attention. That's why he shifted from conventional letters to the easily understood symbol of an arrow, in the form of stickers, colorful stencils, wooden sculptures, mobiles, installations or spray paint.


At the age of nineteen he painted his trademark arrow pointing above in Paris. Since 2001 the adventurous artist has undertaken self financed annual tours. 
Whilst living in Paris, he attached more than 4000 wooden arrows to walls. When he moved to California(2003), he hung wooden arrow mobiles from high -voltage wires,  allowing them to twist and turn and interact with passers-by. This worldwide crusade was continued with a 2004 USA tour, a 2005 European tour and a 2007 south central American tour, accompanied by fellow artist RIPO and documented by Rodrigo Lopez.


His painted wordplays enlarged, more social and political stencils were being spread, such as the "giving to the poor "(2008) campaign on homelessness and the "first love "(2009) stencil. The naked truth video shows his street art installation of a shower in Copenhagen. His 2010 "Help the neighbor" video tackled the social issues of the Haitian disaster.


Blek le Rat invited him to take part in an indoor gallery show at the White Walls in San Francisco. Luckily Above’s focus remained in public space, placing celebrity arrow mobiles in the Hollywood district( Hollywood video) and modifying the  Banksy piece "Because I'm worthless" into "Because now I'm worth it ". 


In 2011 it was time to tour Down Under, where his first Australian solo show "Here today, Gone tomorrow " featured celebrity icons as Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, Bob Marley and Princess Diana. 


A globetrotter having lots of fun along the way...


Above’s book entitled Passport: 
ISBN 978-1-937222-03-1