Made You Smile (12 Photos)
Content warning: From cats playing with street lamps in Northern Ireland to a little girl joining bronze children in a park, these clever and playful works of public art were designed to make passersby smile. Here’s a collection of murals, interventions, and sculptures th
From cats playing with street lamps in Northern Ireland to a little girl joining bronze children in a park, these clever and playful works of public art were designed to make passersby smile. Here’s a collection of murals, interventions, and sculptures that brighten with imagination and humor.
More: Clever! (10 Photos)
1. Cats Mural — Woskerski in Larne, Northern Ireland
A mural of two ginger cats, one sitting and the other reaching up toward a real lamp post, painted on the side of Ruby’s Bodega. The artwork blends with the streetlight, turning it into a toy for the cats. More!: 9 Times WOSKerski Made UK Walls Feel Like Glitches in Reality
🔗 Follow Woskerski on Instagram
2. “E ‘Torre” — Giulio Masieri in Pordenone, Italy
A large mural of a reclining dog stretches across the wall of a building, its lifelike scale making the man standing nearby look small in comparison.
🔗 Follow Giulio Masieri on Instagram
3. R2-D2 With Flowers — EFIX in France
A playful piece featuring R2-D2 holding flowers and a heart, placed next to a trash can as if giving it a gift. The design transforms the mundane into a humorous Star Wars-inspired scene.
🔗 Follow EFIX on Instagram
4. Fake Shadows — Damon Belanger in Redwood City, California, USA
A shadow painted on the pavement shows a mailbox transformed into a dinosaur-like creature with teeth, reimagining the ordinary form in a surprising way. More!: Funny Fake Shadows! (20 Photos)
🔗 Follow Damon Belanger on Instagram
5. Flashlight Beam — Golsa Golchini in Milan, Italy
A small painted figure of a child holding a flashlight appears to project a real beam of light across a wall corner, seamlessly blending painted and natural effects. More!: You Might Walk Past These—But They’re Tiny Masterpieces in Disguise
🔗 Follow Golsa Golchini on Instagram
6. Googly-Eye Bollards — Vanyu Krastev in Bulgaria
Concrete street bollards with cracks and added googly eyes transformed into playful characters resembling Pac-Man figures along the sidewalk. More!: Googly-Eyed Art (17 Photos)
🔗 Follow Vanyu Krastev on Instagram
7. Nadine and the Last Autumnal Swimmer — David Zinn in Ann Arbor, USA
A chalk drawing shows a small green creature swimming in a tiled pool hidden in a square of pavement among fallen autumn leaves, with a mouse perched on the ledge. More!: Beautiful Autumn By David Zinn! (9 Photos)
🔗 Follow David Zinn on Instagram
8. Playing With Statues
A child in a pink dress joins hands with bronze statues of children following a violinist, blending real life with sculpture in a park setting. More!: Playing With Statues (25 photos)
9. Pipe Shoes
Street pipes painted with chalk outlines of colorful shoes, turning the fittings into playful legs against the wall.
10. Flamingo Meter — Tom Bob in Massachusetts, USA
A gas meter and pipes are painted bright pink and transformed into a flamingo. The industrial hardware becomes part of a playful street art character. More by Tom Bob!: 33 Artworks by Creative Genius Tom Bob (That Will Make You Smile)
🔗 Follow Tom Bob on Instagram
11. Face in the Ruin — Nikita Nomerz
A derelict brick structure given large eyes and an open mouth painted around existing openings, turning the building into a character. More!: 17 Times Nikita Nomerz Brought Walls to Life
12. The Light Is All Around — Endo in Čačak, Serbia
Painted around a streetlamp, this mural shows an elderly man smiling and holding the lamp as if it’s a glowing staff. The golden light and warm tone enhance the friendly character’s presence. More photos here!
More: Sculptures With True Creativity (10 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
Clever! (12 Photos)
These street art go beyond walls—turning streets, alleys, and facades into unforgettable illusions and emotions. From reflective eyes to 3D rivers to seasonal portraits shaped by real trees, each piece shows why street art is more than just paint. Here’s a collection of 12 artworks that are absolutely amazing in both craft and placement.
More: Unreal Moments (9 Photos)
1. Cookie Time
A purple public trash bin has been turned into Cookie Monster with the addition of two white googly eyes. A cookie is cleverly placed on the edge, completing the illusion.More!: Googly-Eyed Art (17 Photos)
2. Grumpy Stone — By David Zinn in USA
A stone painted to resemble a grumpy, troll-like face with crossed arms is tucked among similarly sized pebbles beside a concrete pillar, blending in with subtle humor. More!: Cute Art By David Zinn (14 Photos)🔗 Follow David Zinn on Instagram
3. Repairing the Wall — By ENDER at Rue Villiers-de-L’Isle-Adam in Paris, France
A painted girl pulls red thread across a cracked wall, appearing to stitch the concrete shut. The artwork blends into the damage, transforming decay into a delicate visual repair.. More here!🔗 Follow ENDER on Instagram
4. No Entry Bar Scene
A standard “No Entry” road sign is turned into a bar scene by painting black stick figures inside the white space. One sits on a stool with a martini, while the others engage in conversation.
5. Maggie’s Pacifier — By EFIX
A metal wall anchor is transformed into Maggie Simpson’s iconic pacifier. The rest of her face and body are painted around it in her classic cartoon style, blending 2D illustration with real-world objects. More!: EFIX’s Clever Art (9 Photos)🔗 Follow EFIX on Instagram
6. On/Off Switch — By Oakoak
A protruding white traffic barrier is transformed into a giant “On/Off” switch using 3D illusion painting, making it appear as if the sidewalk can be toggled like a machine. More!: Oakoak’s Genius Street Art! (10 Photos)🔗 Follow Oakoak on Instagram
7. The Sea Starts Here
A storm drain is surrounded by a colorful mural of fish swimming in a wave. Above, the painted message reads: “The Sea Starts Here… Don’t Litter,” blending environmental advocacy with public art.
8. Dystopia Bowl
A black Halloween bowl filled with copies of George Orwell’s 1984 sits outside a home, accompanied by a sign reading “One Copy of 1984 Per Child.” It mimics a trick-or-treat setup but swaps candy for political commentary.
9. Giant Bottle Bin
This oversized metal bottle sculpture doubles as a recycling container for plastic waste. The playful design highlights environmental awareness in public space by literally turning the problem into the bin itself.
10. Painted Staircase — In Valparaíso, Chile
On this narrow hillside staircase in Valparaíso, each step is painted with a different section of a colorful seafront cityscape. Together, they form a panoramic view that blends the real architecture with the illusion of painted buildings and sky.
11. Optical Illusion Wall — Cosimo CHEONE Caiffa in Italy
A painted figure wearing sunglasses extends his hand toward the viewer, positioned so the fingers appear to grab the shirt of someone walking past. The mural uses the vertical pillar to complete the illusion, making the interaction look physical. More!: Amazing 3D Murals by CHEONE! (24 Photos)🔗 Follow Cosimo CHEONE Caiffa on Instagram
12. No, thanks
A hand holding a cigarette pack is positioned to align with a carved figure on an old stone relief, making it appear as if the statue is offering the item. The setup relies on matching angles and placement to create the playful effect. More!: Playing With Statues (23 photos)More: Absolutely Stunning (11 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
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