Japanese illustrator Kanako, known for her elegant illustrations for Paris style and culture website My Little Paris, gently mocks Parisians in a series of 48 sketches exhibited until Aug 28 in the streets of Paris – on the Champs-Elysees, at Saint-Germain-des-Pres and in Barbes.
Asking for lunch at a cafe terrace in 17 seconds tops, or complaining because you have to wait another two minutes for the next metro – this is how Parisians are portrayed by Japanese illustrator Kanako with a light touch and a dash of humor.
The artist, who has been living in Paris since 2005 and running the My Little Paris site since 2008, exhibits her work for free in the streets of the French capital, from now to Aug 28. For the first time, a thousand city display panels have been put to use to show Kanako’s 48 sketches, drawn with pencil and Japanese ink.
The exhibition is outdoors, free, and on display in three areas in Paris: the Champs-Elysees, Saint-Germain-des-Pres and Barbes.
Other examples of art that can be seen in the streets of Paris include a special installation at the Place des Abbesses in Montmartre, the “Mur des je t’aime” (The Wall of I Love Yous) by Fredric Baron and Claire Kito. On a surface of 40 sq m, 311 “je t’aime”s are written in 250 different languages.
Meanwhile, in another exhibition, entitled Lost In Paris and running from Sept 10 to Jan 11, stylist Maurizio Galante and designer Tal Lancman will take possession of the Lieu du Design to present works that bring together the themes of design and tourism. The exhibition will include a mobile photo booth, made in collaboration with La Poste (France’s postal service) as part of the Moment Souvenir project that will be going from street to street and offering tourists portrait-stamps which feature monuments in the background.
