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Shipping Containers Painted as Cages in Powerful Series by ROA

Street artist ROA is known for his realistic, larger-than-life murals of animals, and he's taken his talents to the North West Walls Festival in Belgium. He was invited to paint in the city of Werchter and utilized an unconventional canvas for his monochromatic illustrations. A giraffe, goat, bear, and more are found on shipping containers rather than on cement walls.

The impressive display features seven containers stacked on top of each other, with two that make up its base. ROA's ingenious placement transforms the rectangular vessels into cages as we see the animals behind bars and enchained. A painted rhino spans the height of two units as its belly rests above the doorway of one container and its legs in shackles. Additionally, the skeleton of another animal is enclosed in another unit. These elements together create a poignant series that's a powerful depiction of creatures held in captivity.

ROA Flickr page
via [Street Art News]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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