Known for his iconic 3D balloon murals and paintings. Fanakapan’s latest solo exhibition has been taking place in Melbournes Vs. Gallery. Normally based in the UK he is an artist that we are very familiar with here on Inspiring City. That the show happily co-incided with a visit of our own to Australia was a great co-incidence.
Melbourne is known for it’s street art and graffiti scene. As such it’s an obvious place for an artist like Fanakapan to host a first solo show on Australian soil. The Vs. Gallery too seems to be at the heart of it. Look around most districts in this city and you’re likely to stumble across something pretty impressive.
Helium Balloons
The artist has made a career out of his depiction of 3D helium balloons. Set in various shapes and designs, he has mastered the art and led the way in a kind of helium art revolution. His work in the gallery builds on his London ‘Helios‘ exhibition where he combined the balloons with cartoon characters.
Just like that show, the artworks also ‘Pop’ out from the canvas. With a theme of the ‘seven deadly sins’ some of the core works give a different take on that whole concept. Think Angry Birds for ‘wrath’ and Betty Boo for ‘lust’ and you get the picture. As a unique addition and supporting the interactive nature of his work there is also a layer of Augmented Reality which is contained within many of the pieces. Created by Sheffield artist ‘Jask‘, his work really goes the extra mile to bring the pieces alive on your smartphone.
Fanakapan in Melbourne
Fanakapan is one of the most exciting artists on the urban art scene. His work in London and his dedication to mastering his particularly unique style has assured that. In Melbourne he even managed to sneak out a few street pieces. A giant ‘Pop’ and ‘Vs.’ were emblazoned proudly on the gallery in the Richmond district. An infinity sign meanwhile found itself hidden down Swanston Street, an alley in the Central Business District.
Melbourne is quite the city when it comes to street art. There’s certainly plenty to see and the Vs. Gallery has been putting on some excellent shows. Recent outings from UK based artists Pure Evil and My Dog Sighs have been providing some real solid links between the scenes in both Melbourne and London. Let’s hope that continues and the Vs. Gallery keeps putting on great shows.
‘Pop’ the solo exhibition from Fanakapan is showing at the Vs. Gallery in Melbourne between 8th and 24th November 2019. Inspiring City visited the gallery on 15 November 2019. For more posts on Australian street art have a look at these from Brisbane, Adelaide and the Silo Trail.
Pop Gallery
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