A few years ago on a trip to Portland, we came across this stunning mural on a walk around town. The artist, known as Faith XLVII or Faith47 (her given name is Liberty Du) is a self-taught street artist from South Africa, whose work can be seen around the world.
Born in Cape Town in 1979, she began painting as a teenager, three years after the end of apartheid. She has become one of South Africa’s most famous street artists.
“I was into punk and skating and all forms of good rebellious music . . . so graffiti was for me a match made in heaven.” (SensesLost)
That early work was politically charged, a result of her coming of age in the apartheid government. Her portraits of women, like the one above, are meant to portray female empowerment. Other works represent her spiritual look at causes like injustice, poverty, homelessness and inequality. Now a multi-disciplinary artist living in Los Angeles, she likes that outdoor works change through the years, diminished by the elements while becoming something new.
To see more of her art visit her website: Faith47