Quick Facts
Biography
André (aka Monsieur André and Monsieur A; born 2 July 1971 as André Saraiva) is a Swedish graffiti artist, hotelier, and restaurant operator.
Early life
André Saraiva was born on 2 July 1971 in Uppsala, Sweden, where his Portuguese parents had fled the military regime of Salazar. His mother was a translator and his father was a painter. André moved to Paris at the age of 10, and discovered graffiti at the age of thirteen.
Career
Artist
In 1989, André started tagging a top-hatted, stick figure character by the name of Mr. A on the streets of Paris, which earned him a reputation as a renowned graffiti artist. According to André, he has drawn approximately 300,000 Mr. A characters since the inception of his career.
André has been globally recognized for his work with graffiti. In 1989, André Saraiva won a competition organized by the French magazine L'Express. His graffiti spanned 3.20 × 2.15 meters of spray paint and stencils, which was selected among 25 other projects. He was featured on the cover of No. 2001 issue of L'Express. In 1997, he sold his paintings in a shop in Paris, from which he was spotted by Japanese patrons that brought him to the art scene of Tokyo.
André's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums. In 2002, he opened the concept store "BlackBlock" in Paris at Palais de Tokyo ; a creation around which he organized concerts, parades and other performances, and whose profits were reinvested in new projects art. In 2010, André appeared in Banksy's documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. In 2011, he participated in MoCA Los Angeles' Art in the Streets exhibition. The same year, his work was also displayed at the Grand Palais, Paris and the 54th Venice Biennale. In 2014, a solo retrospective dedicated to his work was held at the Museu do Design e da Moda in Lisbon.
Entrepreneur
He has been commissioned to design luxury consumer goods, including goods made by Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Bally Shoe, Tiffany & Co, Sonia Rykiel, Levi's, Nike and Converse. His likeness has been featured in global marketing campaigns. · ·
Besides being a graffitti artist, André has served as the creative director and owner of clubs, hotels and restaurants in Paris, Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Shanghai and St. Tropez.
From 2011 to 2015 he was the creative director for L'Officiel, a French fashion magazine.
Conviction for vandalism
On April 1, 2015, André was convicted and fined for vandalizing a boulder in Joshua Tree National Park in California. André posted photos of the graffiti on Instagram, and the website Modern Hiker and its readers aided the National Park Service in tracking down and identifying André's defacing of the boulder. Before the conviction, André attempted to silence the reporting with legal threats.
Personal life
André was formerly married to French/American electro and fashion designer, Uffie.
Filmography
- Cazals "Somebody Somewhere (Official Music Video), (2008) directed by André, starring Lou Doillon
- The Shoe (2011), directed by André
- Deadliest Catch (2012) directed by André
- New York La La La (2013) directed by André and Aaron Rose, for L'Officiel Hommes
- TV Baby "Wild Joy" (Official Music Video), (2013) directed by André
- Last Night at the Chelsea Hotel (2013), directed by André
- Rendez-Vous au Club Swan (2015), directed by André Saraiva, featuring Benjamin Millepied and Derek Blasberg
André is also an actor, known for For Lovers Only (2011) and Hora Sagrada (2007).