Jean René, better known as JR, is a French street artist and photographer who believes that the street is “the largest gallery in the world.” His work transforms urban landscapes into powerful visual statements through large-scale black-and-white photographic collages. Preferring to remain anonymous, JR uses his art to provoke thought and inspire dialogue among passersby. He first gained recognition with Portrait of a Generation (2004-06), a project that challenged media portrayals of marginalized youth in Parisian suburbs by pasting their exaggerated facial expressions on city walls.
Expanding his vision globally, JR has brought attention to social issues through participatory public art. His Face 2 Face project (2007) juxtaposed portraits of Israelis and Palestinians who shared the same professions, highlighting their shared humanity. He has also tackled themes of migration and incarceration, pasting massive images on the US-Mexico border and collaborating with inmates in a supermax prison for his Tehachapi series (2019-22). His monumental installation Kikito (2017), depicting a child peering over the border fence, sparked international conversation about immigration. His Déplacé.e.s series (2022) engaged refugee communities in carrying giant portraits of displaced children, transforming public spaces into symbols of resilience and hope. As of 2024, his Inside Out project has mobilized over 500,000 people to share their stories through large-scale portraits.
JR’s work extends beyond visual art, incorporating film, audio, and performance. His projects have been featured in institutions such as the Venice Biennale (2022), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2019), and the Brooklyn Museum (2019). He also runs the non-profit Can Art Change the World?, which supports social initiatives like Refettorio Paris, a kitchen for vulnerable individuals, and Casa Amarela, a community center in a Brazilian favela. Through his multidisciplinary approach, JR continues to push the boundaries of public art.
