Bip Apollo
Bip Apollo on a rooftop in San Francisco 2022
NationalityAmerican
Known forLuxury sculpture and urban art
Websitewww.BipApollo.com

Bip Apollo (also known online as "Bip Graffiti", "BiP", and "Believe in People") is a formerly anonymous painter and sculptor who is "known internationally for his role in spear-heading the North American street art revival"[1][2] and creating in-demand luxury art.[3][4][5][6] He initially came to public attention in 2010 around New Haven, Connecticut, moved to the San Francisco around 2013, and began extensively traveling internationally in 2015. Bip Apollo's studio is currently based between Monte Carlo, Monaco[7] and San Francisco.

Practice

Bip Apollo produces work internationally in both the luxury art market and urban art scene as a painter and sculptor.[8] Likewise, Bip has claimed publicly that his work is not committed to graffiti for graffiti’s sake but rather, dedicated to a spirit of resistance to skepticism and estrangement, so as to positively change the way people interact with their environment.[9]

"My main motivation is that I want to change the way people interact with their environment in a positive way. Seeing even a slight smile in an onlooker is deeply satisfying. Knowing that you were able to communicate a thought or feeling … It’s worth it .”[9]

Bip's private artwork sells to celebrities and high end collectors, which he uses to fund non-profit public art.[10][3]

East Coast Period

In 2011, Bip allowed Kimberly Chow, a 2009 Yale University alumnus and former Yale Daily News reporter, to interview him and witness him in action painting a piece that visualizes the origins to his creative work. According to Chow, the name, "Bip", as an abbreviation of "believe in people", is a manifesto in response to a theme the artist discovered repeated throughout his deceased childhood friend's journals.[9]

Bip's spray-paint and stencil murals began popping up during nighttime hours around New Haven beginning in October 2010. Early in his career, Bip illegally painted buildings and spaces around Yale University in New Haven.[11] One of his highest-profile paintings in New Haven is a large smiling portrait of Anne Frank located outside of Partner's Cafe, a bar on Crown Street, a nightlife district.

During this time, reactions to Bip's work were polarizing. While his illegal work was celebrated by some city residents and journalists, some city officials condemned his works as acts of vandalism. Abigail Rider, real estate manager for Yale University said:

Our position on graffiti is that no matter how beautiful it may be (and most of it is far from beautiful) it is an act of vandalism which if not promptly removed sends a signal to people in the area that the owners and residents of the area think it’s not worth it to maintain their property.

— Abigail Rider, real estate manager for Yale University[11]

After he was invited to produce a mural at a lumberyard, NBC Connecticut speculated about his identity and intentions.[12]

West Coast Period

In what is confirmed from news articles to be 2013 or 2014, Bip relocated to a permanent residence in San Francisco, California.[13] After re-location, Bip began to paint gigantic murals. In 2015, Bip completed a 7-story mural in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, depicting a man examining his own heart under a microscope.[14]

The following year, Bip created a 5-story mural in downtown Oakland, California, of an elderly Oakland resident listening to a heavy metal album.[15]

Bip followed this growth with a string of large buildings throughout the Bay Area and by 2018[16] had become synonymous with the West Coast street art revival.[17]

Bip's most well known mural is a 2017 5-story building for the San Francisco Westfield Centre, known as "No Ceiling",[18][19] depicting a young African-American resident with artificially large muscles.[20] In 2018 Bip announced plans to continue with up to ten additional buildings in San Francisco.[21]

International Touring Period

In 2015 Bip began to travel aggressively for international museums and public art festivals while maintaining total anonymity. Beginning with an eight-story mural for the Museum of Krasnoyarsk, Russia,[22][23] Bip followed with a tour of South America sponsored by Montana Colors Spraypaint[24][25] as well as a four-story mural for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, Taiwan.

Throughout this time, Bip continued to wear a mask that has become a part of his public persona.[26]

In a 2017 interview with reporter Jonathan Curiel of San Francisco Weekly, Bip reflected on the changes brought on by international success as a young artist.[27]

To date, the artist has created installations in over 25 countries which he publishes on his website.[28]

Monaco/South of France Period

In 2023, Bip Apollo relocated his studio to Monte Carlo, Monaco where he has created large scale sculpture work and participated in local events such as The Monaco Yacht Show.[7][4]

References

  1. ↑ Iosifidis, Kiriako̧s (2018). Mural masters : a new generation. Berkeley, CA: Gingko Press. ISBN 978-1-58423-729-7. OCLC 1044856947.
  2. ↑ "New Work by Bip Apollo in Monte-Carlo, Monacco". StreetArtNews. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  3. 1 2 Nash, David (1 September 2023). "Locally Made: From Beauty to Books, These Bay Area–Based Brands and Creators Are in Style". nobhillgazette.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  4. 1 2 rédaction, La (13 December 2023). "Un célèbre street artiste américain signe deux œuvres mythiques à Menton". Nice-Matin (in French). Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  5. ↑ "Assistir Encontro com Fátima Bernardes - Bip Apollo faz Obra de arte a céu aberto em prédio de 16 andares em São Paulo online". Globoplay (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  6. ↑ "Un murales speciale spunta a Torino, è il dono di un artista californiano: dove si trova". TorinoToday (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  7. 1 2 "What's new in Monaco's art scene". www.lofficielmonaco.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  8. ↑ Nash, David (1 September 2023). "Locally Made: From Beauty to Books, These Bay Area–Based Brands and Creators Are in Style". nobhillgazette.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  9. 1 2 3 Chow, Kimberly (22 April 2011). "Meet Believe in People". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  10. ↑ "Sem revelar identidade, americano mascarado pinta mural em São Paulo". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  11. 1 2 MacMillan, Thomas. "Believe in People Strikes Again". New Haven Independent, 24 May. 2012
  12. ↑ "New Haven Graffiti Artist Remains a Mystery". NBC Connecticut.
  13. ↑ "Mural series by international graffiti artist BiP comes to San Francisco". Marina Times.
  14. ↑ "Anonymous Artist BiP Unveils 7-Story Tenderloin Mural | Hoodline".
  15. ↑ "Know Your Street Art: Vintage - November 3, 2016 - SF Weekly". SF Weekly. 3 November 2016.
  16. ↑ "Muralist 'Believe In People' Completes Brain Flower Piece In Tenderloin". SFist. Archived from the original on 2017-11-24.
  17. ↑ "Muralist Makes Golden Brains Bloom On Tenderloin Hotel". Hoodline.
  18. ↑ "Noted street artist finishes, unveils new five-story SF mural". Curbed SF.
  19. ↑ "Cool New Five-Story Mural Completed Near Mission And Fourth Street". SFist. Archived from the original on 2017-11-11.
  20. ↑ Gavin, Elaine (20 January 2017). "Street Artist 'Believe In People' Debuts Massive New Mural In SoMa". Hoodline.
  21. ↑ "Big BiP murals bloom around town". San Francisco Examiner.
  22. ↑ "Siberia's 11th Krasnoyarsk Museum Biennale – in pictures | Art Radar". artradarjournal.com.
  23. ↑ "BIP in Siberia – Street Art SF". www.streetartsf.com.
  24. ↑ "Montana Colors on Instagram: "@bip_graffiti + @pemexs are on tour as we speak... keep a watch for painterly updates". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
  25. ↑ "Montana Colors on Instagram: "@bip_graffiti/@pemexs update 1 from Chile🇨🇱 @mtnshop_santiago "...walking through the city and I knock on this door, like, "hola mi nombre…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
  26. ↑ "Bip Apollo on Instagram: "🎶made it past 25 and there I was🎶"". Instagram. 31 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
  27. ↑ "Know Your Street Art: BiP Opens Up About 'Figurine'". SF Weekly. 27 July 2017.
  28. ↑ "Work | Bip Apollo". BipApollo.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
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