Jef Aérosol (Jean-François Perroy, known as)
Born in 1957 in Nantes
Lives and works in Lille
Jef Aérosol studied English at the Sorbonne
Jef Aérosol practices urban art, of which he has been one of the leading figures in France since the early 1980s. He created his first stencil and spray paint works in Tours in 1982 and took part in the first French urban art festival, organized by the VLP, along the Ourcq Canal in Bondy. Since then, he has traveled the world and participated in gatherings of stencil artists and street artists. He most often works in black and white, signing his work with a distinctive red arrow, saying that his “stencils are vivid shadows.” He depicts famous or anonymous figures, seen from the front, in portrait form or in context, drawing inspiration from his photos and drawings, as well as images from magazines and the world of rock and folk music. He aims to deliver a humanistic and poetic message, working in context with the location. He has created monumental murals such as the one in Place Stravinski, near the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and has had numerous exhibitions in France and internationally.
Jef Aérosol said: “Frescoes created in situ are not just works of art. They are art in action for the public eye. People should not be intimidated by art.”