Ekundayo finishes up his second mural.
While graffiti was once considered a sign of urban blight, many artists who got their start as taggers are now becoming embraced by progressive-minded art institutions and civic organizations alike. Enter, the Richmond Mural Project, a yearly street art festival created with the intention of making Richmond, Virginia a unique contemporary art destination by fostering the creation of dozens of permanent murals. Now in its third year, the project brought international artists Chazme 718, Meggs, Onur, Ron English, Sepe, Smitheone, Ekundayo, Proch, David Flores and Wes21 to the Southern metropolis for almost two weeks of painting (June 16 – June 26). Last week, we highlighted the murals of Smithe, Proch and Ekundayo, who seemed to have gotten a quick start (see the coverage here), and today, we show more in-depth photo coverage of Meggs, Onur and Wes21, Ron English and yet another Ekundayo piece.
Photos by Marc Schmidt.
Street view of Ekundayo’s mural.
Finished mural by David Flores.
The Richmond Mural Project artists and crew on the final night of the event.
An ethereal mural by Meggs focuses on abstract shapes.
Meggs’s other piece pays homage to Greek mythology.
Meggs painting.
Meggs drawing in his sketchbook.
Detail of Ron English’s piece.
A monochromatic mural by Ron English.
Onur and Wes21 getting started.
Onur and Wes21 collaborate on a wall.
Onur and Wes21’s mural next to Proch’s wall.
Ron English drawing in a fan’s sketchbook.
Sketchbook drawing by Ekundayo.
A Milan, Italy based street artist known only as 
The “street interventions” of Belgium-based stencil artist 
Italian artist 
In Aryz's recent, enormous murals, the painter is able to emulate the loose traits of a pencil or crayon sketch. The effect is deceptively simple, with the artist's broad strokes and figurative decisions creating a kinetic and striking final product. The artist was previously featured here, showcasing a style that varies from his current approach.