Content warning: From Southend-on-Sea in the UK to Lyon, Cologne, and beyond, these murals transform entire streets. Some bend the perception of architecture, others bring faces and stories to life, and each completely reshapes its surroundings. Here are 8 striking exampl
From Southend-on-Sea in the UK to Lyon, Cologne, and beyond, these murals transform entire streets. Some bend the perception of architecture, others bring faces and stories to life, and each completely reshapes its surroundings. Here are 8 striking examples of how artists change the city itself through paint and vision.
A photorealistic black-and-white mural of an older man pressing his fingers against his head, his eyes wide in intense focus. Every detail of his skin, beard, and expression is rendered with hyperreal precision, magnifying the presence of the wall.
A layered mural showing three generations of people — an elderly woman, a smiling young woman, and a mother with her child — combined with local architecture and birds in flight. The artwork was inspired by Dutch rapper Snelle’s song “Kleur.”
A large-scale illusion painting that makes the façade of a tall building appear warped and bending inward, framed by a red border. The geometric distortion plays with perspective, making the flat wall look like it has depth and movement. More!: 3D Madness By Shozy! (5 Photos)
4. La Fresque des Canuts (Wall of the Silk Weavers) — Lyon, France
Before-and-after view of a massive wall transformed into a trompe-l’œil of staircases, windows, balconies, and greenery. The mural gives the illusion of an entire neighborhood unfolding across the once plain façade. More photos and about the mural!: 10 Photos Of A building in Lyon before and after it was painted
5. Itinerary — RAST in Morlaix, France
A colorful portrait of a sailor with a blue cap and a long pipe. Behind him, swirling abstract forms bring motion to the composition, blending portraiture with graphic elements across the narrow wall. More photos!: Mural by RAST in Morlaix, France (6 photos)
A reinterpretation of Caspar David Friedrich’s romantic painting “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog.” Here, the solitary figure overlooks a modern city skyline, with a shipwreck on the shore, blending art history with today’s urban setting. More photos: Wanderer – By Innerfields in Cologne, Germany (5 photos)
7. The Light Is All Around — Endo in Čačak, Serbia
A mural integrated with a street lamp, showing an elderly man holding the pole as if it were part of the artwork. At night, the glowing lamp becomes the light in his hand, merging real infrastructure with painting.
8. Flowing Strength — Flow in Calais, France
A mural of a woman in traditional attire, holding a katana, with a white dragon and decorative flowers surrounding her. The bold blue background and gold patterns emphasize both elegance and power.
From a canoe climbing the side of a skyscraper in Japan to a building seemingly unzipping itself in Italy, these sculptures challenge how we see urban space. This collection features 8 imaginative public artworks from cities around the world, including Venice, Milan, Geneva, and Osaka. Whether they’re made from trash, cast in metal, or carved into surreal illusions, each piece turns ordinary architecture or furniture into something unexpectedly creative.
1. Canoe Climbing Skyscraper — By Unknown Artist in Osaka, Japan
This sculpture features a yellow canoe with life-sized figures scaling the wall of a high-rise building in Osaka. The façade has been reshaped with a rippling, wave-like contour beneath the boat, giving the illusion that the wall itself is water. The figures appear mid-paddle as if navigating a vertical river.
Two massive white hands rise from the Grand Canal, appearing to hold up the walls of the Ca’ Sagredo Hotel in Venice. Created by Italian sculptor Lorenzo Quinn, the artwork is both dramatic and symbolic—a call to address climate change before it’s too late.
By day, this bronze statue appears to sow seeds into a public park. By night, with the help of a well-placed spotlight, its shadow reveals a dramatic silhouette scattering glowing stars across the wall. The contrast between the statue’s physical form and its shadow turns a simple gesture into a celestial act.
4. Unzipped Building — By Alex Chinneck in Milan, Italy
This architectural illusion by British artist Alex Chinneck makes it appear as if the corner of a building is being unzipped like a piece of clothing. The peeled façade curls outward, revealing windows and the interior beneath. It’s a play on permanence and perception.
5. Half Baby Beaver — By Bordalo II in Bernex, Geneva, Switzerland
Street artist Bordalo II created this split-face beaver sculpture entirely from discarded plastic and scrap metal. The left side of the face is naturalistic in color and form, while the right bursts with colorful waste, contrasting nature with pollution.
In this dual installation, bronze arms grip a sculpted cloth frozen mid-motion. In one piece, the “cloth” is shaped like a bench with gentle folds. In the other, it swings like a suspended hammock. Both use fabric-like bronze to play with the idea of softness and gravity.
7. Lamp Lovers
Two flexible street lamps are bent into the shape of affectionate figures sitting on a park bench. One rests its head on the other’s shoulder, suggesting intimacy in an otherwise cold urban setting. The anthropomorphic design turns everyday objects into characters.
8. Tree Embrace
A large pair of sculpted white hands cradle the base of a tree in the center of a public square. The installation gives the impression that the tree is being protected or nurtured by human care, merging environmental themes with visual tenderness.
9. The Glass Slipper — Philip Jackson in the UK
A garden sculpture of a tall, elegant figure in a flowing dress with a wide sculptural hat. The work blends stone textures with the surrounding greenery. More!: 10 Haunting Sculptures by Philip Jackson
Each sculpture in this collection transforms the city into a canvas for imagination—inviting us to pause, reflect, or smile. These public artworks don’t just decorate urban space—they reshape it with emotion, illusion, and meaning.
