Artist

André SARAIVA

"I make art for the street because that’s where it can make a change. My board for The Concrete Jungle Foundation is about helping young people in Luanda understand how change is possible for them. " - André Saraiva

Artist

André SARAIVA

"I make art for the street because that’s where it can make a change. My board for The Concrete Jungle Foundation is about helping young people in Luanda understand how change is possible for them. " - André Saraiva

Our collaboration

Saraiva has forged a unique path as a graffiti artist. Unlike many of his contemporaries—who migrated their art from street to gallery—he bypassed the commercial art world, choosing to situate his work in nightclubs from New York to Tokyo. These clubs—many of which he has opened and promoted—have changed the nightlife scenes in their cities.

Mr. A and his Love Graffiti—tags of names in pop colors, commissioned by loved ones—spread Saraiva’s core values of love and generosity around the world. He draws constantly, filling notebooks and scraps of paper—yet rarely displays these. For Saraiva, drawing is intimate, a practice that helps him maintain distance from the commercial world of art.

In 2012, Saraiva had his first New York solo show, ‘Love Letters,’ at Half Gallery, as well as exhibitions at The Hole in New York, Anonymous Gallery in Mexico City, and MUDE Museum in Lisbon. He has collaborated with clients like Gallerie Lafayette, Converse, and Louis Vuitton, and was featured in the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Saraiva was also one of the first graffiti artists to use the color pink, which until then had been considered taboo in the street art world.

The work for this Collaboration is based on André’s graffiti alter ego, Mr. A—known for his wide face, huge smile, and cheeky wink. The collaboration with André has raised $15,000 to fund the construction of Angola’s first skatepark in Luanda.

Supported Social Project

Building Angola’s first skatepark

Project by Concrete Jungle Foundation

📍 Luanda, Angola