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Shipping Containers Painted as Cages in Powerful Series by ROA

Street artist ROA is known for his realistic, larger-than-life murals of animals, and he's taken his talents to the North West Walls Festival in Belgium. He was invited to paint in the city of Werchter and utilized an unconventional canvas for his monochromatic illustrations. A giraffe, goat, bear, and more are found on shipping containers rather than on cement walls.

The impressive display features seven containers stacked on top of each other, with two that make up its base. ROA's ingenious placement transforms the rectangular vessels into cages as we see the animals behind bars and enchained. A painted rhino spans the height of two units as its belly rests above the doorway of one container and its legs in shackles. Additionally, the skeleton of another animal is enclosed in another unit. These elements together create a poignant series that's a powerful depiction of creatures held in captivity.

ROA Flickr page
via [Street Art News]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
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