A couple weeks ago we published a tribute post to the brilliant Japanese comics artist Akira Toriyama who passed away in March this year. I reached out to several graffiti writers or artists in order to gather images of tribute graffiti pieces and mural in honor of the beloved and respected Akira Toriyama. There was one gigantic and impressive tribute mural done in Peru I must include. That's why I was in touch with Peko from the crew NFS.
Crew and artists photo in front of the tribute mural organized by NFS crew.
The tribute mural in Peru, South America, was organized by Peko and his NFS crewmates spontaneously. Crew members from NFS like Peko, Doken, Clow, Sioc, Sni, Suc, Yenso, Danger, Vadg, Osir, Fes, Mky, Hate and Uku wanted to handle the project as their graffiti / art / music / hip hop event, that is named "Cans in the City". They are Peruvian citizens around the world including Peru, Chile, USA, Italy, Belgium, Bolivia. More members like Neko, Dedos, Dors, Sergi and Meloso also help shape the project and make decisions together.
The crew got nostalgic about the news that Akira Toriyama passed away, they thought about drawing his face with the characters next to it. They quickly listed what materials they would need like paint and scaffolding, and collect small budget among the crew so that they could start this passionate mission. Next Peko called all the participated graffiti writers and artists and they just come down to the block and paint in the following days.
First day there were 5 of them painting, next day there were 12, fast it increased until there were about 45 graffiti writers and artists. The wall itself has a dimension of 110 meters long and 6.6 meters high. It is located in La Victoria, a site that was taken over by people living on the streets and abandoned, where it is in front of the National Stadium of Peru.
Tribute mural in honor of the Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama in Peru.
Usually the Cans in the City is a festival that lasts for 3 days, where audience and visitors can breathe pure hip hop from stages with concerts to productions of more than 4 blocks, all with the support of the people from the ghetto. It aims to combat the danger where the street is the immense gallery in which the public can raise awareness about the creation of artistic pieces live. It also offers workshops, graffiti battles, prizes from sponsors and surprises.
In 2019 "Cans in the City" bombarded La Victoria with color, suddenly filling the most impassable neighborhoods, contrasting the pollution and traffic congestion in this city full of people wrapped in gray. The festival has rescued the meaning of the street as a space for communicative exchange since then, with the participation of more than 280 graffiti writers.
1st edition of Cans In the City hip hop and graffiti festival in Peru, South America.
The spontaneous tribute mural was not planned as the official "Cans in the City" festival. It was uneasy to organize, as if their original festival in the last 4 years. It has been a very hard road but the results were surprising and amazing. During the tribute mural project, every day they received support and donations from pedestrians, as well as water, paint, spray cans, food, money. Everything was self-collaborative and self-managed by NFS crew and their supporters as well as neighbours from the blocks.
While I was collecting photos for the last post, I came across to this crew topic and tried to update the website crew library. I remember a graffiti writer from Hong Kong was moaning about having a crew is kind of useless in Hong Kong. Because none of them could really manage to paint together as a team, perhaps due to busyness, or laziness. I doubted that, but the crew NFS from Peru definitely demonstrate how useful to form a crew and how powerful with its unity. Mad props to NFS crew, all the graffiti writers and artists who participated in painting the mural and everyone who supported the idea and the project.
Participated artists and organizers in front of the tribute mural.
Last year, to celebrate the 50 years of Hip Hop, the festival happened on 11-13 August, 2023. The crew has decided to continue organizing their Cans in the City event this year. It will take place on Halloween and Day of the Dead. If you want to be part of it or just travel down for visiting, stay tune for their updates though the Cans in the City's official Instagram account.