Painting for masses

Malland stands in front of one of his paintings. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Being a street artist, or "Global Painter" as he calls himself, Malland enjoys talking directly with the public and being involved in local communities.

Malland studied decorative art at one of the most recognized art academies in France and turned to street art because of the creative freedom and direct interaction with the audience.

Malland believes that when an artist exhibits artworks in a gallery or museum, people have to go in to see them, but by painting in the streets, the artist brings the work to the public.

Since Malland started to work with the French TV station Canal Plus in 2009, and with the show Globe Painter, he has traveled to 13 countries where he met with local artists and created artwork in public spaces with them. In China he has painted in Chongqing, Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai.

Paintings done outdoors will either fade quickly or be removed, but that is not a problem for Malland.

"What matters to him is how he makes the local people happy," says Cao Bin, his agent, curator and assistant in China.

After landing in Shanghai for the job, Malland first went to the village to visit local farmer artists. Jinshan district has rich heritage of folk art, featuring farming life subjects painted in bright colors and decorative styles.

"I try to integrate some elements of the local culture into my painting," Malland says. His first painting in the village was on the wall of a street-corner grocery shop. In that piece, two children sit side by side, as if looking at the village and the farmlands covered in yellow rape blossoms. One of them, a little girl, is holding a stuffed tiger toy in her arms, an object representative of the local traditional handicraft.

When he creates the last piece in the village, Malland says he will invite local farmer artists to add their creations to complete the project.