love and angels in Naples

below: First angel seen – Sophia Loren by makergarcia

mural of Sophia Loren on a street in Naples

below: Second angel seen – Her (his?) face is covered (by her hair? by a mask?) as she leans over the globe. Is she mourning? Or protecting?

paste up graffiti of an angle with large wings as she leans on a globe, with north pole at the top

below: Keep your heart close; protect it.

stencil of a young girl carrying a large heart

below: Three shiny hearts at number 28

three very 3 D looking shiny red hearts, paper graffiti

below: A little artwork by ExitEnter, keep your heart held high – to which someone has added a whimsical kite.

graffiti by enter exit

below: Make Love! (there were quite a few of these around Naples) by the aptly named Unplatonic

paste up graffiti by unplatonic, woman's face with hearts, the word Napoli, and the words make love
paste up graffiti by unplatonic, woman's face with hearts, the word Napoli, and the words make love in red

below: “Til death do us part”

black graffiti on grey wall, a drawing of a heart with face in it so that it looks a bit like a skull, with text that says til death do us part

Photos taken February 2024

cyop & kaf in Naples

If you walk around the old part of Naples (particularly the Quartieri Spagnoli), you will see many murals and paintings by the Italian duo Cyop & Kaf. Many of them are weathered and faded or written over but they are still hard to miss. This is a selection of the ones that I saw in Naples one wet spring day.

Flat characters, stylized, simplified.

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, three crosses on a blue hill that is encircled by long black arms of a blackcharacter in a red skirt and white top
man with long red rope, one end tied around his leg

Exaggerated body parts

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, a figure drinking a glass of red wine, long pointy white nose, red pants, sitting on a rock with Napoli spray painted on it, a silver coloured motorcycle is parked next to the mural
mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, banner with cuban flag flying from back of man's head

Missing body parts. Awkward positions.

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, black man in white outfit on the back of a horse with no hind legs, front legs have boots, one red and one black
mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples

Surreal situations

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, black figure lying on back, long nose is holding up a tray with three white bottles on it

Improbable proportions and impossible actions

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, one headless figure in grey is punching hole in middle of another flat figure in grey.  second man has tiny red head
mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, figure sitting on a black chair, one blue hand and one black hand small blue boots,
mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, two figures with guns, one on the other's shoulders, on a wall beside a sign for the taverna penta

mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, woman in a skirt

panels by a store, with street art
mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, small figures standing on red half torsos, jousting
mural by artists cyop and kaf in naples, man lunging position
two men in white tops and orange pants, with a red banner

cyop and kaf graffiti

skirt with apple designs on it, woman, cyop and kaf street art

on green shutters, a painting by cyop and kaf, one panel is missing, black man holding a bag with little faces on green sticks in it

abstract figure, street art painting

Photos taken February 2024