The urban artists SM172 and El Xupet Negre join their professional careers to come together in the creation of a new artistic project called CATAPOP. The fusion between Catalan culture and pop aesthetics will be the backbone of the project.

Both artists have created a total of ten works, each one making direct reference to a distinctive element of Catalan culture. With characters such as Carman Amaya and traditional objects such as the barretina, they seek to unify the Catalan identity. The artists have been inspired by the pop-art aesthetics of the 70s, which turned certain images into great icons that remain in our memory. Catapop focused on images that are easy to identify and recognize in order to highlight them in a plural and legible language for all kinds of audiences.

THE ARTISTS

SM172

SM172 under this pseudonym Caesar Baetulo (Badalona, 1975) is known. Despite having studied art at the Escola Llotja in Barcelona, his training is basically self-taught. Very soon street art awakened his interest and he became known in the media.

Its growing impact is visible in many cities and towns that already have a work by SM172 in their spaces. In Barcelona, for example, it is almost impossible not to find a work of this contemporary artist in any of its corners; El Raval, Gràcia, Poblenou, Poble-sec or Born. However, he has participated in several art fairs, urban art and illustration festivals and collective and individual exhibitions.

The Xupet Negre

El Xupet Negre (Carlos Redón, Barcelona, 1969), considered one of the 50 most influential Street Artists of all times. Is the precursor of Logo Art and one of its greatest exponents. 

He began painting in the streets with a marker in 1985 and with aerosol in 1989. Xupet Negre has worked hand in hand with the fashion, skate and design industries, as well as collaborating with representative Street Art firms. His works continue to be exhibited in some of the galleries of the art scene around the world including Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, San Jose, Los Angeles, Miami, among others.