Photo Credit: Peat Bakke @ Flickr (CC)
Visual art has the ability to uniquely impact its viewer through the interplay between image, color, and purpose. Through this careful interplay, we can experience messages with various senses, and therefore be more holistically impacted by them. The Gospel Graffiti Crew has identified the world’s need to know and understand the Gospel message and has also recognized that art is a powerful medium through which to reach people. The combination of these two convictions has led them to travel to various cities and even foreign countries including France, Canada and Mexico to visually depict the Gospel message in the form of legal graffiti art. Legal graffiti art is graffiti art that is done on approved properties such as abandoned buildings and some parks.
With members from all over the globe, the Gospel Graffiti Crew hopes to share their calling to use legal graffiti art as a means through which to seek and reach out to lost souls. At times, they will paint words like “Truth” or “Glorify” in artful, personalized calligraphy on designated properties. Other graffiti of theirs displays paintings of Jesus as Savior or baskets of fruit to imply the fruits of the spirit. They depict various images that they believe may resonate with the surrounding community. This team of fifteen artists finds locations all over the globe where they can create legal graffiti that artistically communicates the Gospel of Christ. Each member has a nickname that he or she goes by, some of which being Fasm, Camer1, Amp1.
Each individual crew member has a unique testimony that has brought about both a commitment to his faith and an appreciation for gospel graffiti. Whether coming from God-fearing households or rough home situations, these artists have ultimately been united in their calling to use art as an expression of their faith and a means of starting conversations with others about what it means to follow Christ.
Fasm is the head of the Gospel Graffiti Crew and he has been doing spray paint art since the early 1990s. After realizing that fame is not a worthy pursuit for a person who has an eternal perspective, his approach to his art was forever changed; now, he wants to use his artistic ability to point his viewers towards eternity. For Fasm, the best way to use his art in this way was to begin depicting images of eternal significance that communicate the Gospel and biblical truth in an artful way. In starting this group of Christian graffiti artists, he sought to live out this vision in his own life while also encouraging other artists to consider using art in this powerful way.
Whether coming from God-fearing households or rough home situations, these artists have ultimately been united in their calling to use art as an expression of their faith and a means of starting conversations with others about what it means to follow Christ.
The popularization and expansion of urban culture in recent years has led the Gospel Graffiti Crew to greater public recognition. Particularly in the United States, society has become increasingly attentive to urban life, with younger generations often retreating to the city in search of self and purpose. This has naturally drawn more attention to the the Gospel Graffiti Crew’s distinctive graffiti in urban settings all over the world. Because this has been the case, the crew has been particularly intentional about keeping Christ’s glory at the center of their mission; their mission and vision statements keep them accountable to this striving for selflessness in their art.
This group is having an astounding impact in urban communities all over the world by making the Gospel message readily available to all. Their art is displayed on various approved properties all over the world. Whether impacting believers or nonbelievers, their art moves people to see the God of salvation and of hope in an unexpected but beautiful place. To find out more about the Gospel Graffiti Crew or to see some of their art, visit ggcrew.org
This is one inspirational graphics and I believe many will be inspired by it.
My email is always active. Would like to know from you if i may use some of your work with the youth of my church with the project i have started.
Take Care and may God bless you
Joel Pinheir
South Africa