Art: ETAM CRU – Poland’s Finest

Poland is usually known for futuristic and abstract graffiti, with names like Nawer and Pener currently at the top, but also for bubbly letters with funky colors, old school realism and comic characters with a melancholy vibe. However, in recent years – especially during 2012 – ETAM CRU has been stealing the show with their unique style.

I think it was in 2009 when I first started to see Sainer‘s illustrations around the net. He has an eye-catching style produced by a sweet combination of the most academic hyperrealism with an urban touch, a little bit of surrealism and a vibrant color palette.

The other half of ETAM is Betz, more tied to the graffiti movement but also more humanistic and comical. The human figure is usually the center of his work and he likes to play with the anatomy of his characters, paying special attention to their hands and faces.

It turns out that these young men from Lodz and Turek respectively, not only make paintings on canvas amd pretty screenprints – but they also paint huge murals, and by “huge” I mean enormous. Their styles blend so damn perfectly, creating  fanciful and silent scenes – sometimes ironic and other times melancholic with characters that hardly ever would look at you. They utilize aerosol, oil paint and acrylics to imitate brush strokes and make the walls’ surface a part of the artwork.

They have been active since 2008 and joined countless art competitions, collaborated with other artists and local graff writers, made indoor works and art installations. Their wit coupled with their imagination and lack of limits has led them to travel throughout Europe; improving the streets of Russia, Germany, Austria and of course their homeland, Poland.