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Controversial artist Mr Brainwash unveils Perth is Beautiful work at opening of first Australian exhibition

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Simon CollinsThe West Australian
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Mr Brainwash artwork Perth is Beautiful.
Camera IconMr Brainwash artwork Perth is Beautiful. Credit: Mr. Brainwash

Thierry Guetta has painted with Pope Francis and soccer icon Pele, tagged walls with Michelle Obama and been hand-picked to collaborate with Madonna.

Now, the controversial French-born and Los Angeles-based pop artist better known as Mr Brainwash has paid tribute to Perth.

Coinciding with his first-ever Australian exhibition at Cottesloe’s Gullotti Galleries, which opens on August 8, Guetta has produced a special limited-edition work entitled Perth is Beautiful.

Pop artist Thierry Guetta, aka Mr Brainwash.
Camera IconPop artist Thierry Guetta, aka Mr Brainwash. Credit: Supplied

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Inspired by American painter Norman Rockwell, the 55cm by 76cm silkscreen on paper work depicts two children and their dog on a park bench looking across the Swan River to the city skyline.

Guetta said he hoped Perth is Beautiful will prompt West Australians to see our capital city with fresh eyes.

“I hope they will look at life through the eyes of their inner child and look at their cherished city as if it was for the first, re-discovering it with excitement,” he said in the press release for the exhibition.

Mr. Brainwash with Michelle Obama.
Camera IconMr. Brainwash with Michelle Obama. Credit: Supplied

“My work is meant to uplift people and remind them that life is beautiful, no matter what they are going through.”

While Mr Brainwash is unable to visit Perth for his first Australian show due to health reasons, he said he still felt connected to one of the most isolated cities in the world.

“Art has no rules and no barriers,” he said.

Mr. Brainwash with Pope Francis.
Camera IconMr. Brainwash with Pope Francis. Credit: Mr Brainwash/Instagram

“We’re not as far apart as we think. We’re one world, one life, one love.

“I’m all about positivity and finding beauty everywhere.

“That’s who I am, and I wanted to share it with the people of Perth.”

Eighty limited edition prints, signed by Guetta and numbered, will be available for purchase via Gullotti Galleries.

There are also eight artist proofs, 12 unique versions and one original, all signed, up for grabs.

The exhibition is the result of a chance meeting at the Art Basel international art fair in Hong Kong between Mr. Brainwash and gallery owner Paul Gullotti, who is a fan of his work thanks to the 2010 documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop.

The Oscar-nominated documentary was directed by anonymous English street art icon Banksy and featured world-renowned practitioners, including as Shepard Fairey and Guetta’s cousin Invader.

However, Exit Through the Gift Shop’s eventual focus on vintage-clothes-store-owner-turned-street-art-wannabe Guetta, made Mr Brainwash famous and has led to him working with big names from the world of entertainment, sport and politics.

Paul Gullotti and Mr Brainwash.
Camera IconPaul Gullotti and Mr Brainwash. Credit: Supplied

Music superstars ranging from Rihanna and Rita Ora to Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Black Keys have recruited Guetta to create artwork for albums and other releases.

Guetta has also spent the decade since the documentary became a surprise box office hit collaborating with brands such as Coca-Cola, Sunglass Hut, Burger King and Google, while also staging his own Life is Beautiful exhibitions around the world.

Guetta said he never expected Exit Through the Gift Shop to make him a high-profile and in-demand artist.

“The movie was a big surprise for everyone, even me,” he recently told The West Australian.

“We never expected to be nominated for an Academy Award and for it to be one of the most-seen documentaries in the world.”

The exhibition, also called Perth is Beautiful, runs to September 19.

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