German artist Hendrik Beikirch, “ecb,” is known for his monochromatic murals of fictional and documentary portraits standing out amidst post industrial landscapes. Using a photorealism technique, Beikirch depicts the mundane aspects of life and his subjects’ all express a world-weariness, grit, and cautious optimism, providing a sense of familiarity for the local passerby. His works are all deeper studies of humanity that respond to the cultural shifts in the perception of beauty brought about by the ubiquitous presence of social and traditional media.
His murals remind us of our common humanity by representing both actual individuals and the diverse populations of the modern city. This particular mural of a bundled up girl was painted over 3 years ago and can be found in the Lower East Side on Stanton Street.
Beikirch explains the purpose behind his fictional portraits:
“these are no one specific, and therefore, just recognizable. the anonymity of the portraits is of interest. associations with individuals accessed from the mass are being opened. everyone has something special, even though he is a little different from the next. a slightly different shade of color, in black and white, a personage as any other, but still themselves. the melancholy that the faces radiate is somehow comforting, and these places in the public space are exactly where they belong.”
To check out his other murals visit his website.