From painted shadows that bite to murals that extend into the street, these eight artworks transform everyday city elements into something unexpected. Created by artists across the globe, each piece cleverly interacts with its surroundings, inviting passersby to see their streets in a whole new way.

1. Mailbox Monster Shadow — By Damon Belanger in Redwood City, California, USA

Part of a series of playful painted shadows by Damon Belanger, this work transforms the shadow of a regular USPS mailbox into a sharp-toothed monster. Created for a public art project in downtown Redwood City, California, the series brings hidden characters to life on sidewalks, inviting pedestrians to see familiar street objects in a new way. More!: Street Artist painting funny fake shadows to confuse people (20 photos)

🔗 Follow Damon Belanger on Instagram

2. Crosswalk Painter — Cosimo Cheone Caiffa in Trezzano sul Naviglio, Milan, Italy

A mural shows a man using a paint roller to “create” a crosswalk, seamlessly blending with the actual road. More!: 23 Amazing 3D Murals by CHEONE!

🔗 Follow Cosimo Cheone Caiffa on Instagram

3. Statue Slap

Woman poses in front of a classical stone statue, timed so it looks like the statue is striking her across the face with its hand.

More!: Playing with statues (25 photos)

4. Hide-and-Seek — SMOK in Antwerp, Belgium

A giant mural of a child peeks into the wall, interacting with the building’s architecture as if playing hide-and-seek. More photos!: Mural by SMOK in Antwerp, Belgium

🔗 Follow SMOK on Instagram

5. Neil’s One Cookie Per Day Rule Has Hit a Technical Snag — David Zinn in USAn

Chalk art by David Zinn featuring Neil, a green goblin-like creature, holding a drain cover as if it were a giant chocolate cookie.

🔗 Follow David Zinn on Instagram

6. Sewer Chase — EFIX in France

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles chase Mario between two wall-mounted pipes in this small but detailed installation. More!: EFIX’s Clever Art (9 Photos)

🔗 Follow EFIX on Instagram

7. Bob in Bloom — Oakoak in France

Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons gets a natural purple hairdo thanks to a flowering tree branch. More!: Wrong but Right: Art By Oakoak (9 Photos)

🔗 Follow Oakoak on Instagram

8. Telephone Game — Seth in Little Haiti, Miami, USA

Two painted children sit back to back, using the barbed wire atop the building as part of their string-and-can telephone game. More!: 34 Murals That Turn Walls Into Wonders: Seth’s Street Art Will Blow Your Mind

🔗 Follow Seth on Instagram

More: 15 Powerful Art Pieces Overflowing With Emotion

Which one is your favorite?

STREET ART UTOPIA

2025-11-11 09:32:43

Funny Fake Shadows! (20 Photos)

Damon Belanger, a graphic artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, created a public art installation called “Fake Shadows” in Redwood City, California, USA. Funded by the Redwood City Public Art Program, this unique and playful street art project was realized in 2016.

Belanger’s “Fake Shadows” are a delightful interplay of reality and illusion. The artist added painted false shadows to common street objects, such as bike racks, benches, mailboxes, and even a manhole cover, turning them into whimsical creatures and objects. For example, a parking meter’s shadow becomes a monkey’s tail, a mailbox casts the shadow of a dragon, and a bike rack’s shadow transforms into a monkey on a tree.

If you’ve had the chance to see Damon Belanger’s “Fake Shadows” in person, why not share your experience or better still, your photos in our Facebook group Your Street Art Utopia?

For more on Damon Belanger and his work, visit his website.

On your next urban adventure, remember this: street art is not only about murals on walls or graffiti tags. It’s an ever-evolving form of self-expression that can turn even a simple street fixture into a source of surprise and joy. So, keep your eyes open – the next creative twist could be just around the corner!

More: Googly-Eyed Art (17 Photos)

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More: Playing with statues (25 photos)

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What do you think of this type of street art?

Damon Belanger

Damon Belanger is a graphic artist living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area. Active in the local art scene for over 10 years he has explored a multitude of various themes, styles and ideas in his work.

^{Damon Belanger}