Quiet Strength by Faith47 (12 Photos)

Animals, faces and lone figures by Faith47

Faith47 makes walls feel watchful: animals crossing broken walls, lone figures standing their ground, and very large faces. The South African artist, also known as Liberty, began painting in the streets in 1997 and has since expanded her practice into murals, sculpture, video, tapestry and drawing. You can follow her work through her official website and Instagram.

This collection brings together twelve works from South Africa, England, Norway, Tunisia, Canada, Austria, Scotland, Denmark, China, the United States and Israel. It is a new selection from later archive material; our earlier Faith47 collection from 2011 has more.

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🦓 “Una Salus Victis Nullam Sperare Salutem” — Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦

Una Salus Victis Nullam Sperare Salutem, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2015. The Latin title is a line from Virgil’s Aeneid, roughly “the one safety of the defeated is to hope for no safety.” Archive source.

💡 Artist Fact: Faith47’s first solo exhibition in South Africa, Fragments of a Burnt History, opened at David Krut Projects in Johannesburg in November 2012. It used found wood, street signage and other material taken from the city.

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🦁 “Stare Down” — London, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Stare Down, Brick Lane, London, England. Photo: Ian Flinders. Archive source.

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⛓️ “Chant” — Stavanger, Norway 🇳🇴

Chant, Nuart, Børehaugen 5, Stavanger, Norway, 2013. Nuart work record · Archive source.

💡 Nuart Fact: Nuart’s own record lists Chant as a painted, wall-sized mural on a car park wall, showing a blindfolded female figure trapped in a ring of barbed wire.

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🦄 “Hunt Her” — Djerba, Tunisia 🇹🇳

Hunt Her, Djerba, Tunisia, 2014. Archive source.

💡 Festival Fact: Faith47 was one of about 150 artists from some 30 countries who took part in Djerbahood, the project Galerie Itinerrance launched in the village of Erriadh on Djerba in 2014.

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👵 “Scientia et Labore” — Montreal, Canada 🇨🇦

Scientia et Labore, Montreal, Canada, 2013. Photo: Pablo Aravena. Produced with the Do Art Foundation and Lndmrk; the title means “knowledge and labour” (Design Indaba). Archive source.

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🏙️ “The Immense Gap Between Past and Future” — Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹

The Immense Gap Between Past and Future, Vienna, Austria, 2013. Archive source.

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🏭 Hands Framing the Eyes — Glasgow, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A figure framing their open eyes with both hands across an industrial gable in Glasgow, Scotland. Archive source.

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🪑 Seated Figure — Aalborg, Denmark 🇩🇰

A monumental seated figure in Aalborg, Denmark. Archive source.

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🦏 “The Taming of the Beasts” — Shanghai, China 🇨🇳

The Taming of the Beasts, Shanghai, China, 2012. Two white rhinoceroses on a damaged wall. Archive source.

💡 History Fact: The rhinos refer to the rise in rhino poaching, and the mural was presented as a tribute for World Rhino Day in September 2012.

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💀 Figure and Skull — Rochester, USA 🇺🇸

A figure, skull and angular marks in Rochester, USA. Archive source.

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🕊️ “The Weight of Air” — New York, USA 🇺🇸

The Weight of Air, East 2nd Street, New York, USA, 2012. Painted for Fourth Arts Block and MaNY, as reported by The Lo-Down. Archive source.

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🐴 Rearing Horse — Tel Aviv, Israel 🇮🇱

A rearing horse in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo: The Street Art Curator. Archive source.

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None of these walls shout. The strength is quieter: an animal still running, a face that won’t look away, a figure standing still on a crumbling wall.

Which one is your favorite?