Qi Xinghua, who's been nicknamed 'China’s Banksy,' has been building something of a reputation for himself over recent years.
The insanely talented 34-year-old Chinese graffiti artist has been traveling across the country, brightening up drab cities and peoples' days.
Qi found fame through his stunning 3D works, which have sprung up in various cities. And now it seems that he has turned his attention to a style similar to that of the world famous Banksy.
Humorous works, such as his first Banksy-esque work of a pair of happy pandas found on a crumbling wall in a Beijing suburb, have been springing up in a number of cities.
“I felt it was just too ugly," the Beijing-based artist told The Guardian on why he chose to paint on the wall. "I wanted to paint something funny on it, to play around a bit.”
Finding drab, often semi-demolished walls and surfaces, Qi’s graffiti has been found in Nanjing and Xiamen, as well as other cities. These works include funny and interesting images of lions, dolphins and mermaids, which jar against the dreary backdrops.
With over 200,000 followers on Weibo, Qi is definitely far more open about his work, unlike the enigma that is Banksy. In addition to the British artist, Qi cites Michelangelo and Kurt Viner – a fellow 3D street artist – amongst his influences.
Equipped with nothing but a facemask, spray paint and a box of chalk, Qi is on a one-man mission to beautify China’s cities.
Check out the development of his work below.
[Photos via Guardian, Daily Mail, China.org.cn, World TopTop, Vision Times, Qi Xinghua Weibo]
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