The benefits of public art shouldn’t be underestimated. Public art invites people in, providing a bridge between the individual and the environment. It’s also freely accessible, meaning you don’t have to have the means to enjoy it. Most recently we’ve come across the work of muralist and graphic artist, Peru Dyer Jalea.
Known as Peru 143, his practice is informed by digital and traditional art on top of some 20+ years of painting graffiti. “I used to get arrested for trespassing in train yards or for skateboarding so I started selling canvases in high school to pay for the fines,” Peru recalled in an interview with Artists Everywhere.
“Many years later, after a European tour, I decided that I was done working in small scale and dedicated myself solely on painting walls.” According to Peru, it was while painting walls that he was approached by Mu in Montreal, which allowed him the opportunity to explore and learn from other muralists.
These days, Peru’s style is marked by simple geometric shapes, clean lines, and primary colors. A proponent of the “Graffuturism” movement, he hopes to encourage social change through his work, in the form of consciousness-shifting works of art. Indeed, his positive, vibrant pieces have an air of optimism about them, that aims to connect rather than divide.
“I can’t imagine life without art,” says Peru. “But I’m not just an artist. Aside from running my own business painting murals, live painting and doing a little graphic design, I also make Installation and Display Art which is mostly sculptures and woodwork for festivals and opening/updating retail stores around North America.”
He also frequently collaborates with brands, with his selected clients including Facebook, Nike, Converse, Red Bull, Bell, Cirque du Soleil, and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
