“Higher” by Gaia and Con graces a U Street alleyway. (Photo By: heydayjoe)
Commissioned by DCArts in 2010, this backstreet gem appears on the east side of 1017 U Street NW in the alley between Lovely Yogurt and Corte Salon. It’s a relatively early creation by street muralist Gaia, who was still in college at the time, and Con, a graffiti artist.
Now considered a rising star in the art world, Gaia grew up in New York City and is a 2011 graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, where he lives and works. His murals appear on buildings in cities across America as well as Canada, Argentina, Italy, France, the U.K., the Netherlands, South Africa and South Korea.
Earlier this month, Gaia completed work on a wall in Perth, Australia, for the independent nonprofit arts organization FORM. Titled “dementia,” the mural is a “depiction of wetlands fading into a collage of moments from the city of early modern planning to skyscraper development in the CBD.”
Among his many other murals, “Higher” is a modest piece that provides a small taste of his work – and his talent. We’ll continue to showcase this talent by featuring other neighborhood murals Gaia’s created throughout DC. Stay tuned…