Before I moved to Valencia on a whim for the summer, I knew almost nothing about the city. I’d never visited before, but instead wholeheartedly put my faith in my internet research. Luckily for me, bloggers and visitors alike raved about Spain’s third largest city. Every article and guidebook included the highlights: the City of Arts and Sciences, the Old Town, and of course, the beaches. Yet, very few mentioned one of Valencia’s primary attractions: its street art.

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All you need to know about Valencia’s street art

Unless you’ve had the pleasure of visiting Valencia, then you may not know that it is home to some of the world’s greatest street art. Local and international artists alike have contributed beautiful pieces to the streets of El Carmen and Ciutat Vella since the early 90’s. I wandered all through the city, capturing photos of the different pieces and even took a guided tour to learn more about the different artists.

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Once you’re in Valencia, be sure to get lost amongst the cobblestoned streets to check out all the great pieces! Because street art is ever changing, it’s one of the most interesting ways to learn about local culture and relevant social issues.

Here’s a guide to some of Valencia’s best street art pieces to get you started on your journey!

DEIH

Once you start familiarizing yourself with a few of Deih’s pieces, you might start to recognize them right away. That’s because his murals often contain bold colors, futuristic themes, and intricate details. Can you believe it’s all done with spray paint?

David de Limón

It’s nearly impossible to avoid David de Limón’s work if you walk through Valencia. He’s well known for his iconic masked men, which I learned on my street art tour are NOT ninjas. Nonetheless, these figures sneak their way into corners and doors and even onto other artists’ murals. Walk around and see how many you can spot – it makes for a fun scavenger hunt!

Blu

Blu is actually a world-renowned Italian artist who travels across the globe painting murals. One of his most iconic pieces here in Valencia is actually this depiction of Moses, which I’m told is one of the most Instagrammed walls in Valencia. Pretty impressive!

Escif

As you can see, Escif has a unique painting style that is easy to distinguish from many of the others’. From what I’ve seen, his messaging is quite political as well. This particular piece clearly refers to the global issue of police brutality.

La Nena

La Nena is one of Valencia’s most well-known street artists. Her style varies greatly and she does lots of collaboration posts with other artists. However, her most iconic piece is the below 50’s style woman, which can be found throughout Valencia if you look closely.

MRBT62

One thing I learned during my tour is that in addition to painting murals or graffiti, many of the artists also have iconic symbols that represent them. MRBT62 is no different with his mysterious hat-wearing photographer. These can be found in both sticker and paint form and are often times accompanied with the words “if not illegal, is not graffiti.”

Julieta

Last but not least is Julieta, one of my favorites from the group. She paints cartoon-like characters in bright and bold colors. Unlike many artists who paint satirical or political pieces, her murals are meant to inspire happiness for all. Now that’s a message I can get behind!

I’ve only covered a few of the prominent street artists and pieces here in Valencia – there are a lot more you will find as you walk through these cobblestone streets. I personally find street art to be one of the most fascinating mediums of expression in a city, and Valencia’s booming art scene is bound to inspire both locals and visitors alike.

So what are you waiting for? Get out to El Carmen and start exploring!

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