Thierry Noir 'Skateboarding' Prints Available

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: Skateboarding (Teal,Pink, Orange + Blue)
Medium: Woodcut Prints on Japanese Rice Paper
Size: (4) 65.8 x 65.8 Inches
Edition: AP
Price: UNSURE

Thierry Noir 'BMX Racing' Prints Available

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: BMX Racing (Blue, Pink, Orange + Teal)
Medium: Multi Color Screen Prints
Size: (4) 65.8 x 65.8 Inches
Edition: AP
Price: UNSURE

Thierry Noir is a French artist who is widely recognized as the first person to begin painting on the Berlin Wall. He arrived in Berlin in the early 1980s, drawn to the city's unique energy and political landscape. Living near the Wall in the bohemian squat community of the Georg von Rauch Haus, he began his iconic painting project in April 1984, alongside fellow artist Christophe Bouchet.

Noir’s motivation was not political in a protest sense, but a personal act of defiance and a desire to "metamorphose" the bleak, oppressive symbol of division into something positive. He worked quickly, often in secret, using simple, bold colors and brushes, knowing he could be spotted by East German border guards who might shine spotlights on him.

His signature style is characterized by fast, simple, and brightly colored images, most famously his "characters": figures with large, cartoonish heads, exaggerated features, and bold outlines. These works were a spontaneous response to the immediate urban environment, designed to be executed rapidly before discovery.

When the Wall fell in November 1989, Noir's artworks were suddenly exposed to the world, making him an accidental icon of German reunification and a symbol of artistic freedom. Portions of his original paintings are now preserved on the East Side Gallery, a permanent memorial to freedom, and his style has been reproduced globally. His work transcends graffiti to stand as a vital, spontaneous historical document, transforming a monument of repression into a vibrant canvas of hope.

Thierry Noir 'Super Classic Heads' Paintings Available

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: Super Classic Heads
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 24 x 30 cm Each
Edition: UNIQUE
Price: £1,800 Each

Thierry Noir, a French artist born in Lyon in 1958, is widely recognized as the first artist to paint the Berlin Wall, transforming the stark symbol of Cold War oppression into a canvas for hope and freedom. Arriving in West Berlin in 1982, drawn by the vibrant music and art scene, Noir settled in an abandoned building near the Wall and, in April 1984, began his "revolutionary act".

Working quickly to avoid the armed East German border guards in the "death strip," Noir developed his signature style of bold, simple, and colorful cartoon-like figures, often featuring elongated faces and big heads. He describes his art as a physical reaction against the misery and melancholy of life near the Wall, not intending to beautify it, but to ridicule and ultimately help demystify its power. His simple, catchy "pop songs" of art were born out of necessity and danger.

Over five years, Noir covered approximately five kilometers of the western side of the Wall, inspiring countless other artists to follow suit and turning it into the world's longest outdoor gallery. After the Wall's fall in 1989, he was one of the artists invited to paint the eastern side for the East Side Gallery, a preserved stretch of the Wall and a lasting memorial.

Today, Noir is considered a pioneer of the street art movement, and his work is displayed in museums and public spaces worldwide, including the Imperial War Museum in London and the Wende Museum in Los Angeles. He continues to create murals globally, carrying his message of peace and humanity through his instantly recognizable, vibrant art, which remains an icon of resistance and creative spirit.

Thierry Noir 'On The Road To Happiness And Success' Print Application Open

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: On The Road To Happiness And Success
Medium: 8 Color Screen Print
Size: 131 x 60 cm
Edition: 50
Prices: £1,800

 

Thierry Noir, born Thierry Noir in 1958 in Lyon, France, is a pioneering French artist and muralist celebrated for his vibrant, simplified aesthetic and his historic role in transforming the Berlin Wall into a canvas of resistance. In January 1982, drawn by the creative energy of West Berlin and inspired by musicians like David Bowie and Iggy Pop, he moved to the city with little more than two suitcases and a one-way train ticket. Living in a squat overlooking the Wall, he was struck by the oppressive, monochrome atmosphere and began painting it illegally in April 1984, becoming the first artist to do so.

Working under constant threat of arrest by East German border guards, Noir developed his now-iconic “Fast Form Manifest” style: bold, continuous black outlines filled with bright, flat colours, often completing murals in minutes. His figures elongated profiles with big noses and bulging eyes were not meant to beautify the Wall but to demystify and ridicule it, turning a symbol of division into one of defiance and freedom. Over five years, he painted more than three kilometres of the Wall, influencing fellow artists like Keith Haring and contributing to a movement that ultimately helped erode the Wall’s authority.

Since the Wall’s fall in 1989, Noir has exhibited worldwide, from London to Los Angeles, and his work has appeared in films like Wings of Desire and on the cover of U2’s Achtung Baby. Today, he continues to create murals and limited-edition prints, maintaining that art should remain a playful, rebellious act that challenges authority and spreads colour in the face of oppression.

Thierry Noir 'The Energy Of The Dance Floor Comes Straight Back To My Ears' Print Release Details

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: The Energy Of The Dance Floor Comes Straight Back To My Ears
Medium: 9 Color Linocut Print
Size: 27.4 x 27.4 cm
Edition: 100
Prices: £940

Thierry Noir 'Best Memories Of An Unforgettable Evening' Print Release Details

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: Best Memories Of An Unforgettable Evening
Medium: 6 Color Screen Print
Size: 100 x 100 cm
Edition: 50
Price: £2,400

Thierry Noir 'The Energy Of The Moment Takes Us Through The Night' Print Available

Artist: Thierry Noir
Title: The Energy Of The Moment Takes Us Through The Night
Medium: 8 Color Screen Print
Size: 100 x 100 cm
Edition: 50
Price: £2,600