JR - Women Are Heroes

JR’s Women Are Heroes, Elizabeth Kamanga, Le Havre, France, 2017 captures the spirit of his monumental Women Are Heroes project honoring the resilience and contributions of women worldwide. This lithograph commemorates the July 5, 2014, departure of a 363-meter-long ship from Le Havre, its containers adorned with 2,600 strips of paper forming Elizabeth Kamanga’s portrait. Part of JR’s Women Are Heroes initiative, the limited edition print symbolizes the unseen struggles of women in conflict-torn regions, their stories carried across oceans as a testament to their strength and endurance, connecting their lives to the global movement of goods, people, and hope.

JR, a pseudonymous French artist born in 1983 in Paris, is a seminal figure at the nexus of photography, filmmaking, and social engagement. Recognized alongside other influential street artists like Banksy, Invader and Shepard Fairey, JR is renowned for his large-scale urban interventions and monumental photographic collages that transform public spaces into arenas of visibility for the often overlooked or marginalized. JR’s approach to street art and urban art is deeply intertwined with social activism. By plastering massive black-and-white photographs across varied urban landscapes – from the favelas in Brazil to segregation walls in the Middle East and the US-Mexican border – he highlights the faces and stories of people who are typically ignored, making the invisible vividly seen. Over the past two decades, JR has orchestrated numerous site-specific projects globally, working directly with local communities. He engages individuals by taking their portraits, then dramatically enlarges these images and integrates them into the fabric of their own environments. The French artist views the streets as “the largest art gallery in the world,” aiming to reach broad audiences beyond the conventional gallery-goers. His artwork not only adorns city walls but also features in the collections of major public institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The Brooklyn Museum, Château La Coste in Aix-en-Provence, and the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne. In addition to his public installations and photographic documentation, JR is also involved in the medium of print, creating handcrafted limited edition prints that further extend the reach of his socially engaged art. JR’s prints and public artworks are more than mere artistic expressions; they are vibrant, participatory social projects that foster community interaction and challenge societal norms. Through his innovative use of photography and public space, JR continues to push the boundaries of how art can inform, engage, and inspire societal change.