Falko leaves his mark in CBD

Graffiti artist Falko One has left his mark in Bellville’s CBD with a colourful elephant-inspired mural titled, Bellephants.

The artist was commissioned by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) to paint the wall in a parking space next to Eskom and City of Cape Town property.

GTP’s Deidre Thomas said it was part of a campaign to beautify open spaces and combat urban decay.

“Thousands of people pass this area on a daily basis. We wanted to create a high visual impact and to install a sense of pride in the area,” she said.

To date, the GTP has commissioned three paintings in the area, one being along the wall of the Tygerberg Association of Street People’s offices and the other at the bus terminus.

Ms Thomas said they took a “shot” and asked Falko if he would be interested in creating the art piece and to their delight he agreed.

Falko is considered a forerunner in the industry –having worked in this field since 1988.

His elephant-inspired pieces can be seen across the country and in London.

Falko said this was his largest artwork in Cape Town to date.

Asked about his signature elephant paintings, he said: “When putting something in the public space it’s important to have something that’s neutral and won’t cause any animosity.”