Graffiti in Shanghai and Chengdu: Looking for Chinese writing, symbols and calligraphy along the streets

Abstract

After a brief introduction to the origins and development of graffiti in China, this paper first examines the graffiti scene in Shanghai through two prominent figures. On one hand, the analysis focuses on 1. the OOPS crew—Shanghai’s most renowned and influential graffiti crew, composed of both Chinese and Western members. The crew merges the Western graffiti art movement with Chinese artistic and cultural traditions, incorporating Chinese characters, calligraphy, and ancient symbols into their work. On the other hand, within this same international context, the paper considers; 2. Dezio, a French graffiti writer highly regarded in Shanghai, who integrates Chinese characters and employs a Chinese tag in his creations. These two actors exemplify the cultural cosmopolitanism and intercultural dynamics that make Shanghai fertile ground for creative expressions born from cross-cultural ‘contamination.’ To further explore the diffusion of graffiti art in China, this paper also investigates the graffiti scene in Chengdu. The analysis focuses on two case studies: 1. GAS, one of Chengdu’s most prominent graffiti writers, who expresses his identity and artistic intent through his Chinese tag (qi 氣). His works are centered on Chinese script, frequently utilizing traditional characters and drawing inspiration from Chinese calligraphy to create a distinctive, locally oriented graffiti style; 2. Fan Sack, who began his career as a graffiti writer in Chengdu and now resides and works in Paris. Transitioning from graffiti writing to figurative paintings inspired by Buddhist themes, Fan Sack has developed a more representational artistic language, spreading his work throughout Europe.