Genius Graffiti Art That Will Make You Smile - Part 2

Lots of creative street art exists. Let's take a look at some of the most genius graffiti art that will make you smile!

July 3, 2023・

11 min read

Nowadays art isn’t only found in galleries, and for the keenest eyes and wildest imaginations, the street outside is just one big canvas. Every wall, column and crack can be transformed into unique artwork, and to prove it, here’s some more genius graffiti art that will definitely make you smile!

Mentalgassi

At first glance, this looks like any old beaten-up fence but position yourself just right and you’ll find a work of art nestled between the iron bars.

This impressive piece, which could easily go unnoticed by the average passer-by, is by the anonymous German street art trio ‘Mentalgassi’, who created the painstaking painting in Berlin. It’s part of a series of special ‘lenticular’ artworks by the group that disrupt urban environments with their passion for photographic portraiture.

Screaming Pipe

Not all street art has to be artistically impressive and sometimes all it takes is the ability to see potential for some playful creativity. Take this amusing graffiti in Brazil, for example, which makes perfect use of an overflowing pipe by turning it into a shocked mouth for a charming rendition of Edvard Munch’s painting ‘The Scream’.

Sandrine Boulet's Street Doodles

Everyday objects also have an important part to play in effective street art, like an abandoned traffic cone which has been transformed into a witch’s pointy hat with a quick lick of paint. This simple idea could brighten anyone’s day, it’s just a shame there wasn’t a broom lying around, too.

This cheeky street art is the work of French artist Sandrine Estrade Boulet, who transforms the streets of Paris with her minimalist approach to Graffiti. With her keen eye, she turns tufts of grass sprouting from the concrete into patches of unwanted body hair or even hula skirts.

Gutter Art

Imagine passing these adorable Mario & Luigi drain covers in the morning, or perhaps this magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

These colourful cartoon characters are the work of Brazilian street art duo Anderson Augusto and Leonardo Delafuente, who specialise in turning bog-standard storm drains into fantastical characters. From monkeys, mice, pirates, tempting deserts and even Tutankhamun himself, you name it, they’ve done it!

Exploding Spinach

It’s a common misconception that street art is an eyesore in the natural world, and sometimes nature can work perfectly alongside it. Check out this awesome graffiti in Istanbul which makes perfect use of a nearby bush by transforming it into a can of exploding spinach fit for Popeye himself.

Street Art By OakOak

Here’s another example of nature inspiring some creative street art as this brightly coloured bloom became the perfect shape for the iconic hairdo of Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons. This genius work was created in Saint Etienne in France by the artist known as OakOak, who’s always on the lookout for new opportunities to whip up some smart art.

Decaying urban environments are the perfect playground for any savvy street artist, and all it took was a few quick strokes of paint to turn this chunk of exposed brickwork into the silhouette of a sea lion. This cute and playful concrete sealion was the result of the work done by Oakoak. Turns out familiar animal shapes can be found anywhere

Not all street art needs to be big and bold, and sometimes even the smallest additions can have a lasting impact. Take this miniature Spiderman by OakOak, for example, who’s swinging his way through the city by hanging onto a tiny crack in the concrete, taking down one insect bad guy at a time.

Check out this hilarious street art in Belgium by OakOak. Any seasoned player will know just how annoying these angry ‘thwomp’ blocks can be, and it looks like Mario just wasn’t able to dive out of the way fast enough this time.

I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be to rush to the toilet and find this giant art of Leela from Futurama glaring intently at you in the stall. The use of the toilet-roll holder as her cyclops eye is pretty ingenious but this is one sure-fire way to cause some serious stage fright.

Random acts of vandalism can vastly improve an urban setting which has seen better days by injecting an element of well-needed fun. Take a look at this damaged street barrier which is the perfect fit for this genius karate kid art by OakOak, for a little dude that’s one powerful kick.

Snoopy Fire Hydrant

There are plenty of unusual shapes in every urban environment which are destined to become something more. Just look at this adorable fire hydrant which has been pimped up to resemble the classic cartoon character Snoopy, and he’s even got a little sax too!

Judging by the questionable nose jewellery, though, Snoopy might be hanging out on the wrong side of the tracks.

Jan Vormann's Lego Art

Not all street artists rely on spray paint to make a statement, and Berlin-based artist Jan Vormann uses Lego as his unconventional artistic material. Vormann seeks out crumbling architecture and fills in the cracks with thousands of colourful bricks to create miniature constructions which add a playful touch to the concrete jungle. Each piece is totally unique, but they’re all so satisfying to look at!

Pixel Pipe

This joyful installation by Kelly Goeller is enough to make you look twice at its super effective 8-bit design that looks straight out of a classic Super Mario game. The ‘pixel pipe’ has been carefully constructed using coloured foam with individual pixels strategically placed as if the flowing water has been frozen in time; or maybe the game just paused.

Bouncing Drainage Pipe

Artists have found more ways to represent running water through creative mediums, just look at this simple but extremely effective street art which turns an ordinary drainage pipe into an inventive scene.

Usually, it’s the art which moves around its surroundings, but here the fixed pipe literally looks like it's bouncing off these cute umbrellas.

Walking Pipe

The creator of this endearing graffiti in Milan has found another use for unsightly exposed pipes by turning one into a walking stick for this little old man. Just look how happy he is.

Pretzel E.T.

If pareidolia is the science behind seeing faces everywhere then I wonder if there’s a name for finding E.T. in inanimate objects. Whatever it is, the creator of this street art clearly suffered a bad case when they encountered this discarded pretzel. This lovable guy probably looked progressively sadder as time went by and his doughy little face started to expire.

Crime Scene

Street art like this gives you an idea of what might happen when the sun goes down over the big city and the street comes alive. By adding expressions to these concrete bollards, it seems like we suddenly have the scene of a brutal crime; no prizes for guessing who the killer is, though.

End of Pikachu

Let’s keep things macabre for a second with this tragic scene which seems to depict the end of the lovable yellow furball Pikachu. It takes a really twisted mind to turn an accidental paint spill into the scene of a hit-and-run, but there’s no doubt this would make you stop on the street.

Animated Heart Piece By Lonac

This is one seriously impressive act of graffiti and incorporating the exposed pipes above to make this anatomically correct human heart pop in 3D was truly a stroke of genius. This is the work of well-known Zagreb-based street artist Lonac who created the beating heart mural as a gift to his fans on Valentine’s Day.

Don't Cross Here!

Here’s another sneaky addition which makes all the difference, just by adding a cartoon UFO to this regular road sign this unknown artist has created a scene of alien abduction. I bet you won’t be able to unsee this now.

Ostap Street Art

If Mario Kart has taught us anything, it’s that rogue banana peels are a recipe for total disaster, but what if I told you this risky fruit wasn’t real at all? This mind-boggling street art is the work of Berlin-based artist Ostap who uses lifelike stencils to challenge people’s perceptions. I wonder how many people stepped over this potential hazard anyway.

Eybombing The Streets

Artist Vanyu Krastev turns inanimate objects into animated characters as he scours the city of Sofia in Bulgaria armed only with a bag of googly eyes, like he did with the one below.

He calls the hilarious process ‘eyebombing’, and after seeing some of these adorable results it might just catch on. Who knew sticking a pair of cartoonist eyes on something could go such a long way? Just take a look at this boring old bin which has been turned into an adorable trash-guzzling cookie monster with a couple of ordinary ping-pong balls.

Damon Belanger's Fake Shadows

Damon Belanger takes a unique approach to street art by manipulating our perception of everyday objects using shadows. In his imaginative artworks, silhouettes have a life of their own as they shapeshift into surprising and fantastical things like menacing creatures and giant flowers.

On a sunny day, these creative works of graffiti would be enough to confuse anyone walking down the street as they seem to offer a glimpse into a parallel world!

Spongebin

Trash cans are certainly more practical than pretty, but that’s not to say that the most creative among us can’t achieve a total transformation with some skilled paintwork. Check out this picture-perfect Spongebob (or, Spongebin) which would definitely make taking the rubbish out worthwhile, I bet the other bins on the street are totally jealous.

Yellow Light

It might take a minute to realise what’s going on here, after all, painting this quaint little outdoor seating area in vibrant yellow is a strange design choice, but take a closer look and it’s quite genius.

Even when the spotlight above the doorway isn’t switched on, this area is now flooded with a constant stream of yellow light, and it even falls cleverly halfway over the table and chairs.

Painted Stream

The painted stream on these outdoor steps in Bucharest is so lifelike that it's almost trippy, which is probably what you’d end up doing if you attempted to walk down these drunk. Over 70 steps on this street have been transformed by painstaking paintwork which turns a typical cityscape into a natural wonder.

Clet Abraham's Street Signs

Street signs are pretty universal, and most people pass them every day, but would you stop and think twice if you saw one like this?

These one-of-a-kind road signs have appeared all over Florence thanks to street artist Clet Abraham, who turns the minimalist designs into hilarious scenarios like forbidden love and some pretty heavy-handed dental work.

Tom Bob Art

New York might be one of the world's most urbanised cities, but street artist Tom Bob has been slowly turning its industrial fixtures into a colourful playground with his lovable transformations. Using his endless imagination, he turns drain covers into giant frying pans, bollards into neon octopuses, exposed pipes into worms and even a metal grate into a set of braces.

Mended Heart

Decaying cityscapes can work perfectly for street artists looking to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, and this mended heart artwork in Italy is a great example of finding beauty in the broken. By carefully placing pink threads on the wall this clever artist has created the illusion that they’ve been able to stitch up the concrete, and the painted needle really tops it all off.

Accident-to-Art

This simple artwork is a great way to get the best out of a bad situation by turning an accident into an amusing sight for any passerby. It takes a sharp mind to take a look at a paint spill like this and turn it into a struggling little dude, but I’m glad someone did.

David Zinn's Pavement Art

Street artist David Zinn uses childhood pavement chalk to create his temporary works of art which feature a host of wacky creatures from tiny dragons to flying pigs and bug-eyed fish. Each adorable scenario looks like it's taking place right under your feet, and tile-by-tile Zinn is making the world a little more wonderful with his crazy creations.

Chain Art By JPS

Playing with perspective can have a big payoff when it comes to creating effective street art, like this Banksy-inspired piece by JPS which totally looks like this determined feline is heading right for you. From the right angle, those tiny paws really seem like they’re walking the chain-link tightrope!

If you’re a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, you’ll be familiar with the terrifying teenager Gogo Yubari, and thanks to this amazing street art by artist JPS, locals in Weston Super Mare in the UK can relive that iconic fight scene over and over again.

By repurposing an existing chain-link barrier this creative artwork has managed to recreate her lethal weapon in all its glory, and turning this corner at night would probably give anyone a fright.

If you were amazed at these pieces of genius graffiti art that are sure to liven anyone's day, you might want to read part 1. Thanks for reading.