Handle with Care

Notes

Thierry Guetta, whose professional moniker is Mr Brainwash, is a French-born artist who has been based in Los Angeles since he was a teenager. He previously owned a vintage clothing store and was an amateur videographer who became fascinated by street art in 1999 after discovering the secret identity of his cousin, the anonymous French street artist Invader. Mr Brainwash filmed Invader (1969-) at work and, upon returning to the States, found a new subject in Shepard Fairey (1970-) and eventually met the elusive Banksy. It was soon after this meeting that Guetta began creating his own art, a combination of street art and Pop Art, and assumed the pseudonym of Mr Brainwash. His successful 2008 debut exhibition titled Life is Beautiful became the focus of the Oscar-nominated Banksy documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) and his popularity grew. Mr Brainwash held numerous exhibitions including pop-ups at Art Basel Miami, created commemorative 9/11 murals in New York City, and entered into creative partnerships with Coca-Cola and Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee. Madonna, Rick Ross, and Kygo have each commissioned him to create album covers and his work can be seen in the TV shows Billions, Shameless, and The Kardashians.