MonkeyBird’s Majestic Murals Bend Time Through Elaborately Stenciled Compositions

For more than a decade, French artists Louis Boidron and Édouard Egea have been collaborating as MonkeyBird (previously). The pair are known for their large-scale stenciled murals rich with symbolism, architectural structures, and elaborate motifs, many of which reach for timeless themes related to human emotion, experience, and the inevitability of change.

“The Arch of Peace” is one of their most recent pieces and transforms the facade of an Aarhus building into a monumental homage to peace and justice. Commissioned for the 17 Walls Project, the mural draws on one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals to create a more inclusive and resilient future.

a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of a a monkey holding a staff and a bird holding an architectural model. the background is green with gold details. angels are at the top with smaller animals to the sides — “The Arch Of Peace,” Aarhus, Denmark (2024)

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose origins lie in France, served as our central inspiration,” the artists shared. “We reinterpreted the ornamental framework of the original engraving: angels, arches, and colonnades symbolize the moral pillars essential for stability in a constantly changing world.”

As is typical in a MonkeyBird mural, two anthropomorphized creatures donning robes stand at the center of the composition, guarding a library based on that of Trinity College Dublin. “Their attributes of power and intellect take on true meaning only when guided by reason and ethics,” the artists add.

Similarly mythic and majestic figures appear in a pair of murals in Fontainebleau and Metz, France, the latter of which features an avian creature holding an hourglass high in the air. Titled “Le Présage,” or “The Omen,” the piece directly points to the artist’s interest in the passage of time and collapsing the boundaries between past, present, and future.

In February, the pair will join the Montgomery Art Project in Alabama to create a mural and immersive installation of their papercuts. If you’re local, keep an eye out for opportunities to participate in one of MonkeyBird’s workshops, which will engage the community in cutting their stencils and creating public paste-ups. Until then, pick up a print in their shop, and follow their latest projects on Instagram.

a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of a bird figure in a robe between classical columns and architecture. the background is ochre — “Le Présage,” Metz, France (2023)

a detail of a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of a a monkey holding a staff and a bird holding an architectural model. the background is green with gold details — Detail of “The Arch Of Peace,” Aarhus, Denmark (2024)

a wide mural with a black and white stenciled depictions of animals, trees, ponds, and classical architecture. the background is light blue with gold details — Fontainebleau, France (2023)

a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of monkey dangling a vessel with smaller animals in it and a bird nearby. the monkey sits atop a classical column. The background is ochre with ornate architectural details — Aubervilliers, France (2022)

a detail of a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of a horse amid classical architecture. the background is light blue with gold details — Fontainebleau, France (2023)

a detail of a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of a lion amid classical architecture. the background is light blue with gold details — Fontainebleau, France (2023)

a detail of a mural with a black and white stenciled depiction of hybrid animals, a pond, trees, and classical architecture. the background is light blue with gold details — Fontainebleau, France (2023)

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