It was in Philadelphia, US, in the 1960s, where modern street art was born. Cornbread and Cool Earl are considered a couple of the first pioneers in this category. In spite of its negative reputation, street art—which involves spray painting murals on buildings, buses, and other public surfaces—has won over the hearts of many creative types. The objective is to get more people to see and experience these works of art so that their deeper significance can spread and they can be provoked to ponder. Some pieces of street art are now considered to be works of art worth millions of dollars. Here are the top 9 pieces of world-famous street art!

1. The Little Girl with the Balloon, by Banksy

Banksy is perhaps the most well-known street artist in the world. For almost 23 years, the enigmatic Banksy has been releasing artworks all around the globe. His work is mostly known for its capacity to provoke. The British artist primarily uses spray cans and stencils, both of which he makes before beginning a painting. One of his most famous pieces, The Little Girl with a Balloon, was produced by him in London in 2002. Next to the tag, Banksy writes, "There is always hope." A small girl in a black dress releases a balloon. It's his way of urging us to keep going even when things look hopeless. During an auction for the silkscreened version in 2018, the work self-destructed after the auctioneer hit the hammer. Artistic scandals like this are rare.

2. We the Young by, Keith Haring

This American pop art legend created a splash with his vibrant, stylized character paintings. Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat got their start in the art world at the same time. His diagnosis of HIV in 1988 inspired him to use his art as therapy. While at work, he takes on issues such as drug abuse, AIDS, and more. “We the youth”, a mural he painted in Philadelphia in 1987, bears his name as one of the city's earliest mural artists. After months of searching for the right spot, he and a group of 14 high school students painted a mural that would go on to gain worldwide fame. The project is situated in a low-income neighborhood and is meant to foster the area's development.

3. Coexist, by Combo

Combo was born to a Lebanese Christian father and a Moroccan Muslim mother. He began his artistic career in 2012. This devout street artist was willing to break the rules and entered the no-go zone around Chernobyl in order to put up his promotional posters. In 2015, the logo for COEXIST, designed in Poland by Piotr Mlodozeniec, served as an inspiration for him.

Three religious icons—the Muslim crescent, the Jewish Star of David, and the Christian cross—illustrate the concept of coexistence. The message of this public art is one of openness and respect for all faiths. Combo has taken his art to the streets of Paris since the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

4. Marianne, by Shepard Fairey (Obey)

Shepard Fairey, an American artist who has been actively creating work since 1993, was fascinated by graffiti and street art from an early age. He used to design skateboards and t-shirts when he was a teenager. He made stickers and plastered them all over town after being inspired by the works of artists like Andy Warhol and Diego Rivera. One of his most popular stickers is André The Giant's face. His mural tag in Paris's 13th arrondissement is one of his many internationally acclaimed works. Marianne is represented by this piece painted in the national colors of France (a personification of the French republic) and it was painted after the attacks in 2015.

5.  Love Won’t Tear Us Apart, by D*Face

Dean Stockton, well known by his art name D*Face, is a pop art pioneer from the United Kingdom. At first, he used to draw cartoons on scraps of paper to pass the time. His interest in drawing miniatures grew over time. Thereafter, he began to make stickers and illustrations for various media. These eventually evolved into posters, which were eventually plastered all over Paris. “Love won't break us apart” is the name of a street art fresco he painted in the 13th arrondissement of Paris in 2017. D*Face portrays a loving pair in a painting. The skull-faced man represents the people who used to be in our lives but are now only in our memories.

6. Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour, by Bradley Theodore

Bradley Theodore, a Caribbean artist, paints fashion icons from the fashion sphere as vibrant skeletons. He got his start painting murals on London's sidewalks. Bradley switched to painting on canvas to demonstrate his skills to the public and develop partnerships. He depicted Anna Wintour on the left and Karl Lagerfeld on the right, the two fashion icons that are recognized without much effort thanks to their iconic hairstyles.

7. The Flower Thrower, by Banksy

In 2003, one year after creating The Little Girl with the Balloon, Banksy made a stencil piece on a wall in Jerusalem. The Flower Thrower is his second major publication. The street artist depicts a faceless guy throwing a bouquet of multicolored flowers like a Molotov cocktail in an effort to protest war, denounce its horrors, and urge for peace. When he was painting this piece, a local told him “We do not want this wall to be beautiful, we do not want this wall, go home”.

8. NorthWest Walls Festival, by Pichi and Avo

These two are some exceptional Spanish performers! By combining elements of sculpture, modern painting, and urban art, Pichi and Avo have invented a new kind of street art. The two artists are using distinct mediums both indoors and outside. They've worked with big names like the Portuguese Vhils and others from all over the world. In 2015, however, their career took off after they completed an incredible piece of street art made out of 7 shipping containers. Graffiti art meets classical Greek sculpture in this work.

9. Etnias, by Eduardo Kobra

Kobra is widely regarded as one of the best muralists in history. He paints murals all around the world, including Spain, France, India, and his home city, Sao Paulo. With his painting of Etnias in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games, Kobra set a new record for the largest mural ever created. The painting is 190 meters in length and 15 meters in height, 1,000 jars of white paint, 1,500 liters of color paint, 3,500 cans of aerosol spray, and 40 days of labor were needed to create this gigantic piece. The five Olympic rings and the five continents are represented in the picture by five diverse faces. Kobra's message through the painting was "We are all One: the human race".

The most well-known works of street art are now a little more familiar to you. From Barcelona to Bogota to London.If you would like to bring a unique art piece to your home or office, explore our shop and pick from our selection of street art canvas.