The Weight We Carry (10 Photos)
Content warning: From the tangible heaviness of stone-filled sculptures to murals that address absence, poverty, and environmental destruction, these 10 works reveal the burdens we shoulder as individuals and societies. Featuring Celeste Roberge, Kevin Lee, Haohui Zhou, B
From the tangible heaviness of stone-filled sculptures to murals that address absence, poverty, and environmental destruction, these 10 works reveal the burdens we shoulder as individuals and societies. Featuring Celeste Roberge, Kevin Lee, Haohui Zhou, Bin Liu, SMUG, Innerfields, Lalone, Alexander Milov, Hijack, and Banksy, the collection spans continents and mediums, each piece offering its own perspective on what it means to carry weight — emotional, social, or physical — in public spaces.
More: Murals That Hit You Right in the Heart (12 Photos)
1. The Weight of Grief — Celeste Roberge in USA
A crouched human form constructed from a steel frame filled with smooth stones. The open lattice reveals each rock, collectively forming the figure’s mass, visually conveying the heaviness of grief.
2. The Invisibility of Poverty — Kevin Lee, Haohui Zhou & Bin Liu in China
A boy sits on stone steps, body-painted to perfectly blend into the background. The camouflage makes him almost vanish, reflecting how poverty is often overlooked in society. More!: The Invisibility of Poverty
3. Say No to Plastic — SMUG in Margate, UK
A hyper-realistic mural of a seal being freed from a tangle of blue netting by human hands. The scale and detail highlight the impact of plastic waste on marine life. More!: 24 Times SMUG Made Walls Look More Real Than Life
🔗 Follow SMUG on Instagram
4. Absent — Innerfields in Berlin, Germany
A mural of a woman embracing a person-shaped void, the missing figure painted as the same green as the wall. The absence becomes the focal point, expressing loss and separation. More photos and about this mural!: Absent – Mural by Innerfields Berlin, Germany
🔗 Follow Innerfields on Instagram
5. Homeless with Dogs — Lalone in Málaga, Spain
A mural of a hooded figure sitting on the street, cradling two dogs. The life-sized perspective aligns perfectly with the viewer’s street-level gaze, blurring reality and painted imagery.
🔗 Follow Lalone on Instagram
6. Love — Alexander Milov at Burning Man, USA
Two large wire-frame adult figures sit back-to-back, each enclosing a smaller illuminated child reaching toward the other. The work captures inner innocence reaching across adult conflict.
🔗 Follow Alexander Milov on Instagram
7. When They Shoot, We Shoot — Hijack in USA
A stencil artwork depicting an armed soldier aiming at a photographer, while the photographer’s camera is aimed directly back. The piece challenges the dynamics of power and representation. More by HIJACK!: 42 Inspiring Street Art by HIJACK
🔗 Follow Hijack on Instagram
8. Follow Your Dreams (Cancelled) — Banksy in USA
A stenciled figure of a worker holding paint brushes and a bucket stands beside the slogan “Follow Your Dreams,” over which the word “Cancelled” is stamped in bold red. More!: 24 artworks by Banksy: Who Is The Visionary of Street Art?
🔗 Follow Banksy on Instagram
9. Sad Together
A little girl in a red dress sits curled up beside a statue posed in the exact same way. More: Playing With Statues (12 Photos)
10. Bifido in Gambettola, Italy
A large-scale mural titled “Hell Is Round The Corner” by Bifido portrays an older man holding his head in despair, masterfully integrating existing windows and architectural elements to intensify the expression of emotional distress.
🔗 Follow Follow Bifido on Instagram
More: 15 Powerful Art Pieces Overflowing With Emotion
Which one is your favorite?
Murals That Hit You Right in the Heart (12 Photos)
Street art often captures human emotions, societal messages, and profound statements in ways words cannot fully express. From murals depicting the stark realities of conflict to uplifting images celebrating nurturing moments, the works in this collection provide a visual journey through emotional depth, cultural significance, and humanity’s complex narratives. Here, you’ll discover a child’s playful imagination reshaping reality, the raw pain of the housing crisis, heartfelt reflections on war, and compelling advocacy for social change.
More: 14 Powerful Art Pieces Overflowing With Emotion
My Dog Sighs in Cardiff, UK
A striking mural features a detailed eye painted with Ukraine’s flag colors—blue and yellow. Within the eye’s reflection, Kyiv burns, symbolizing the human tragedy of war in Ukraine. Paint drips mimic tears, emphasizing sorrow and empathy.🔗 Follow My Dog Sighs on Instagram
Chemis in Plzeň, Czech Republic
In Plzeň, a photorealistic mural by Chemis depicts a child wrapped warmly in bed sheets holding a teddy bear, an alarm clock above signaling the passing of childhood. The mural cleverly blends with the building’s aged facade, creating a surreal peeling effect.
Smug One in Greenock, Scotland
An impactful, lifelike mural by Smug One depicts a mermaid tenderly breastfeeding her child, capturing an intimate moment while advocating for the normalization of breastfeeding in public spaces.More by SMUG: 24 Times SMUG Made Walls Look More Real Than Life
🔗 Follow Smug One on Instagram
Bifido in Gambettola, Italy
A large-scale mural titled “Hell Is Round The Corner” by Bifido portrays an older man holding his head in despair, masterfully integrating existing windows and architectural elements to intensify the expression of emotional distress.
Asbestos in Cork, Ireland
Asbestos addresses Ireland‘s housing crisis through a surreal mural of a person wearing a cardboard box over their head, capturing a profound feeling of helplessness and anonymity amidst the crisis.🔗 Follow Asbestos on Instagram
Oriol Arumi in Lleida, Spain
Oriol Arumi transforms an apartment block into a stunning scene depicting storks nesting high in a tree, symbolizing family, hope, and the bond between nature and urban spaces.🔗 Follow Oriol Arumi on Instagram
TANAI and Ali Zakir in Almaty, Kazakhstan
This cheerful mural by TANAI and Ali Zakir shows a child drawing a vibrant orange sun on a residential building, playfully blending street art with childhood innocence and optimism.🔗 Follow TANAI on Instagram | Follow Ali Zakir on Instagram
GOIN in Geneva, Switzerland
GOIN’s poignant stencil artwork “Peace Maker” portrays a child attempting to heal a fallen dove, symbolizing efforts toward peace amid geopolitical conflicts, notably referencing the invasion of Ukraine.
Murales Lian’s mural in Ondarroa, Spain
A black-and-white photorealistic mural of elderly hands weaving a net, painted across the full height of a residential building. While the hands and background remain monochromatic, the fishing net is brought to life with vivid strands in orange, red, pink, blue, green, and yellow. The mural pays tribute to the traditional work of women in the coastal town of Ondarroa.🔗 Follow Murales Lian on Instagram
Michael Rosato’s mural in Cambridge, Maryland, USA
This lifelike mural of Harriet Tubman is painted on the side of the Tubman Museum and Education Center. Tubman is shown stepping out of a broken brick wall, arm extended as if reaching for the viewer’s hand. Behind her, a calm riverside landscape glows under a setting sun. The artwork is titled Take My Hand and has become an iconic tribute to her legacy.🔗 Follow Michael Rosato on Instagram
Anonymous artist’s stencil in Germany
A simple yet impactful stencil showing a young woman hunched over, vomiting a stream of bright red hearts onto the sidewalk. Dressed in casual clothes and holding a smartphone in one hand, the artwork titled Lovesick captures a raw, satirical commentary on modern relationships and emotional excess.
My Dog Sighs’ mural in Eccleston, Lancashire, UK
A detailed mural of a single eye painted on a textured wall, with teal and green tones suggesting flowing tears. The reflection in the pupil shows a cobblestone street and a solitary figure, adding depth and a subtle narrative of solitude and reflection. The artwork seamlessly integrates the rough wall texture into its emotional effect.🔗 Follow My Dog Sighs on Instagram
More: 11 Times I Found Street Art Cleverly Using Its Surroundings
Which one is your favorite?
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