Originally from the south of France, Seaty has won a prominent place among the most emblematic artists of contemporary art of the 21st century. And for a good reason, the artist has never stopped reinventing himself, evolving, and trading wild graffiti from the beginning of his career for works exhibited around the world now. Back on the itinerary of a mysterious street artist known for his unique signature.
From an early age, Seaty was shaken by urban influence by the permissive era of the 1990s, oscillating between hip-hop music and the advent of street graffiti. His art follows his passion for this musical current. When he was a teenager, in the 2000s, the streets inspired him to establish his own creative playground through the urban artwork he produced throughout the city. With this somewhat vandalistic form of expression, it was in 2008 that the self-taught artist decided to give a new turning point to his art. He then devoted all his time to it as a single rider, whose goal was to share his artistic prism with the world. The hobby became his work and his creations range from rural walls to canvas. It would have taken Seaty very little time to be inducted as a contemporary artist with aficionados of this coveted sphere.
Over the last 20 years, the artist, whose stage name “Seaty” is the homophone of “city”—a tribute to the genesis of his career—has forged a recognizable signature marked by a hybrid style, divided between realism and abstraction. That is all his strength! Combining genres brilliantly and creating a unique work that is both melancholic and colorful, like an intelligent mix with pop-art accents. In the breadth of his creativity, there is a constant work process. A black and white portrait of confusing realism, enhanced with an explosion of bright colors, is a nod to the urban connotation dear to the artist. To conceptualize his large-format portraits, Seaty directs his research on faces with strong looks, from different ethnicities, tribes, and cultures.
“I like to create portraits of different cultures, countries, or religions. My portraits are very often in black and white, and I add a touch of color with tags, graffiti, and drips reminiscent of urban graffiti and street art,” Seaty further explains.
Inspired by his many travels, the objective is to create a unique portrait, itself composed of several portraits. Seaty expresses that the reason he loves his art form is, “to make people understand that urban art can bring joy, excitement, and color to our lives and make us travel for a moment.”
It has been more than a year since he set up his workshop in Dubai to create new works that will be exhibited around the world.