#monkeybird

“Le Présage,” Metz, France (2023).

MonkeyBird’s Majestic Murals Bend Time Through Elaborately Stenciled Compositions

For more than a decade, French artists Louis Boidron and Édouard Egea have been collaborating as MonkeyBird (previously). The pair are known for their large-scale stenciled murals rich with symbolism, architectural structures, and elaborate motifs, many of which reach for timeless themes related to human emotion, experience, and the inevitability of change.

All images courtesy of MonkeyBird

“The Arch Of Peace,” Aarhus, Denmark (2024)

Aubervilliers, France (2022)

Fontainebleau, France (2023)

for those who don't know the context: in this world, there is a species of sapient winged creatures called monkeybirds-- basically parrot/monkey gryphons-- who are very often enslaved by humanoids.

now, i'm going to make a point to note that even when wearing clothing (which is unusual for them), the shape of their wings is clearly visible. see this scene from s1e1 where Niddler (a monkeybird freed from his slaver by the main hero of the series, Ren) is walking through a port town, both trying to look inconspicuous:

or, like in s1e3, clothing is made to accommodate their wings, as with the free monkeybirds' queen:

soooo, also in s1e3, there is a scene where a particularly vile slave trader is being served dinner by two of his enslaved monkeybirds.

they. don't. have. wings.

"THE CASTLE ON THE CLIFF"

by MonkeyBird

In 2009 French stencil artists Louis Boirdon and Edouard Egea started to paint together as MonkeyBird—Temor the monkey representing "body," and Blow the bird representing "soul"—"a complete human being in quest of an idealistic freedom." Paris gallery Brugier Rigail says MonkeyBird draws inspiration "from ephemeral monumentality, religious paintings, and the Art Nouveau" and they "specialize in making metaphysical architectural representations." MonkeyBird created this work on Thomas St for the 2018 edition of the Waterford Walls Festival.   Photos©2023 Randall Cole

LOCATION: Thomas Hill Car Park, Waterford, Ireland