A portrait of Thierry Guetta, who is known as Mr. Brainwash. Some people believe the French, Los Angeles-based graffiti artist is actually Banksy. Photo: Thierry Guetta
A portrait of Thierry Guetta, who is known as Mr. Brainwash. Some people believe the French, Los Angeles-based graffiti artist is actually Banksy. Photo: Thierry Guetta
Mr Brainwash's artwork is seen at the Mr Brainwash solo exhibition held in February 2010, in New York City. Getty Images
Mr Brainwash's artwork is seen at the Mr Brainwash solo exhibition held in February 2010, in New York City. Getty Images
The pop artist and filmmaker Thierry Guetta, known as Mr Brainwash, stands with his paintings 'The Queen', right, and 'Kate Moss' at the Opera Gallery on October 3, 2011, in London, England. Getty Images
The pop artist and filmmaker Thierry Guetta, known as Mr Brainwash, stands with his paintings 'The Queen', right, and 'Kate Moss' at the Opera Gallery on October 3, 2011, in London, England. Getty Images
Works by Mr Brainwash are readied for exhibit at the Opera Gallery on October 3, 2011 in London, England. Getty Images
Works by Mr Brainwash are readied for exhibit at the Opera Gallery on October 3, 2011 in London, England. Getty Images
A woman walks past a mural in Central London depicting The Beatles wearing bandanas, by the Paris-born, Los Angeles-resident filmmaker and street artist Mr Brainwash, on November 8, 2012. AFP Photo
A woman walks past a mural in Central London depicting The Beatles wearing bandanas, by the Paris-born, Los Angeles-resident filmmaker and street artist Mr Brainwash, on November 8, 2012. AFP Photo
'Self Portrait' by Mr Brainwash, at a media preview of Bonhams' inaugural US auction of Urban Art, on October 24, 2012 in Hollywood, California. AFP Photo
'Self Portrait' by Mr Brainwash, at a media preview of Bonhams' inaugural US auction of Urban Art, on October 24, 2012 in Hollywood, California. AFP Photo
'Life is beautiful' by Mr Brainwash at The Faberge Big Egg Hunt - Grand Auction raising money for Action for Children and Elephant Family, at Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on March 20, 2012 in London, England. WireImage
'Life is beautiful' by Mr Brainwash at The Faberge Big Egg Hunt - Grand Auction raising money for Action for Children and Elephant Family, at Royal Courts of Justice, Strand on March 20, 2012 in London, England. WireImage
A man walks by a mural, made during the Covid-19 pandemic by Mr Brainwash on La Brea Avenue, on April 18, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
A man walks by a mural, made during the Covid-19 pandemic by Mr Brainwash on La Brea Avenue, on April 18, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
Street art by Mr Brainwash is seen outside Sparadise on La Brea Avenue on June 21, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
Street art by Mr Brainwash is seen outside Sparadise on La Brea Avenue on June 21, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
A mural depicting the late basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, by artist Mr Brainwash, in Los Angeles. Bryant and Gianna died in a helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020. Getty Images
A mural depicting the late basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, by artist Mr Brainwash, in Los Angeles. Bryant and Gianna died in a helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020. Getty Images

Weekend

Graffiti extraordinaire Mr Brainwash on his plans to open a museum

The Los Angeles-based French artist has big ambitions in the art world

Joshua Sims

June 10, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Thierry Guetta is looking forward to exploring the dark side. “Well, let’s say dark, but always with a hint of light in it, that shows you what life could be,” says the French artist better known as Mr Brainwash.

Guetta, who is based in Los Angeles, is full of such positivity; enough to make a cynic suspect that he’s putting it on. But somehow that suits an artist who those of a more conspiratorial bent still claim is just an elaborate front for British artist Banksy.

Mr Brainwash came to prominence in Banksy’s 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop: the broad accent, the trademark sunglasses, moustache and hat, the endless enthusiasm, even the suggestive moniker — it was all just too good to be true.

It’s a notion that Guetta himself plays on. “When you say ‘you are [Banksy]’, they say ‘no you’re not’. And when you say ‘I’m not’ they say ‘yeah, sure you are!’,” he says with a chuckle. “In life everything comes out in the end. Now is not the right time but time will tell. And it will be a big surprise.”

Indeed, if Mr Brainwash is some kind of complicated art world joke, Guetta is the one laughing, given the rapidity of his ascendency. The photographer and videographer turned graffiti artist found himself very much the centre of the art world’s attention as a consequence of that documentary appearance and since then is reputed to have made more than $20 million through his upbeat, irreverent and referential works.

That’s not counting all the side gigs — album covers for Madonna and Rick Ross, collaborations with Nike, Mercedes and Coca-Cola, and prestige commissions such as the gigantic projection he made on the side of London’s Battersea Power Station last year.

And soon, if all goes to post-Covid plan, he’s opening not just a gallery, but a museum of his work, in the Richard Meier-designed, former Museum of Television & Radio building on Beverly Drive in LA. He promises it will show a whole new side to his art, too.

“I’ve worked for 15 years and haven’t shown any of the kind of work that I also wanted to show, so much as more the work I felt people wanted,” Guetta says. “Over those years, I made work that was colourful, that was happy, that I hoped made people happy, and the more I did that the more people wanted it. So then you’re judged on something that doesn’t represent all of who you are. But another side of myself has an aesthetic that’s very different to what I’m known for.”

That’s been 15 years of commercial but not necessarily artistic credibility too, in part perhaps because the art world is only now getting to grips with street art, despite, as Guetta claims, it being the most pure, most expressive of all art forms. In Guetta’s case, it’s been heavily influenced by pop art, but, with his work referencing everyone from Van Gogh to Warhol, also left him open to accusations of appropriation.

“I’m not a pure graffiti artist. I’m more a pop artist than anything else — pop as in popular — because I want art to have an influence on people, to brainwash,” he says. “But pop art [especially] has no limits as to where it can go... And the pop artist has to be engaged with what’s going on, as Warhol showed. When I take influence from other artists’ work for me it’s [not copying but] more like an homage. For sure these are artists that I admire and love.”

Certainly, in keeping with his life-is-for-living philosophy, while Guetta does genuinely seem to be enjoying the ride, oblivious to criticism, he also sees the market value of his art as a force for good, such that he’s lent his spray can to charitable collaborations with the likes of Michelle Obama and the pope.

'Recovery Plan' by Thierry Guetta (aka Mr Brainwash), who featured in 'Exit Through The Gift Shop', a film by the British graffiti artist Banksy.
'Recovery Plan' by Thierry Guetta (aka Mr Brainwash), who featured in 'Exit Through The Gift Shop', a film by the British graffiti artist Banksy.

“The fact is that the art world is really just a big game, and anyone who plays it thinks they know it, but really they don’t,” Guetta says. “If there’s someone who wants to spend $100 million on a painting, which in a few years from now will be $200 million, then fine, that’s the art system. But that says more about the fact that money today isn’t what it was before — people become billionaires overnight now because they’ve designed an app. So suddenly [how art is valued] has no rules. Who knows where this art market is going.”

As for critical acclaim, he really does not seem bothered at all. His sales, he might well say, speak for themselves. Instead he takes the long view.

“Look at the history of the art world and it’s been wrong so many times," he says, referring to what constitutes art. “We rarely know what impact the art being produced at any time will have anyway. In the end you just have to make the art that comes from who you are, that’s a product of your life.”

The coming months will see whether the other, unseen side of his life brings people to his museum, assuming that doesn’t prove to be some kind of arty-clever ruse, of course.

The world’s unique museums, from espionage to noodles — in pictures

A lipstick pistol, a button-hole camera, a lethal umbrella and an authentic waterboarding table – the espionage world's heroic, ingenious and sordid sides can all be seen at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. AFP
A lipstick pistol, a button-hole camera, a lethal umbrella and an authentic waterboarding table – the espionage world's heroic, ingenious and sordid sides can all be seen at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. AFP
Belongings and other items on display during the inauguration of the Avicii Experience Museum, dedicated to late Swedish musician Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii, in Stockholm, Sweden on February 24, 2022. AFP
Belongings and other items on display during the inauguration of the Avicii Experience Museum, dedicated to late Swedish musician Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii, in Stockholm, Sweden on February 24, 2022. AFP
The entrance to the Museum of Broken Relationships in Hollywood, California. AFP
The entrance to the Museum of Broken Relationships in Hollywood, California. AFP
The Museum of Broken Relationships is where memories of broken hearts are put on display. AFP
The Museum of Broken Relationships is where memories of broken hearts are put on display. AFP
Instant noodles packages on display in the Instant Noodles History Cube at the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama, Japan. EPA
Instant noodles packages on display in the Instant Noodles History Cube at the CupNoodles Museum in Yokohama, Japan. EPA
Staff members prepare instant noodles for visitors at the My Cup Noodles Factory at the CupNoodles Museum. EPA
Staff members prepare instant noodles for visitors at the My Cup Noodles Factory at the CupNoodles Museum. EPA
A woman prepares instant noodles at the Noodles Bazaar. EPA
A woman prepares instant noodles at the Noodles Bazaar. EPA
One of the largest underwater museums in the world is in the Caribbean Sea off Cancun, Mexico. AP Images
One of the largest underwater museums in the world is in the Caribbean Sea off Cancun, Mexico. AP Images
Some of the hundreds of sculptures at Cancun Underwater Museum. Photo: Musa
Some of the hundreds of sculptures at Cancun Underwater Museum. Photo: Musa
'What's it supposed to be?' Visitors to the Museum of Bad Art in Somerville, Massachusetts, admire the awfulness of a series of canine portraits. The museum is looking for a new home. Getty Images
'What's it supposed to be?' Visitors to the Museum of Bad Art in Somerville, Massachusetts, admire the awfulness of a series of canine portraits. The museum is looking for a new home. Getty Images
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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The biog

Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician

Hometown: Ghazala, Syria

Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978

Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter

Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi

Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.

Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo

Favourite food: fresh fish

Playing records of the top 10 in 2017

How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season

1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)

2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)

3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)

4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)

5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)

6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)

7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)

8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)

9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)

10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)

Credit Score explained

What is a credit score?

In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.

Why is it important?

Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.

How is it calculated?

The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.

How can I improve my score?

By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.

How do I know if my score is low or high?

By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.

How much does it cost?

A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.

On Women's Day
The specs
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  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

The biog

Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns

Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins

Food of choice: Sushi  

Favourite colour: Orange

Whiile you're here
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE

Looking for a new family pet? Here are the links to visit when it comes to adopting... 

Animal Welfare Abu Dhabi

Rescue of Abu Dhabi

Feline Friends Abu Dhabi

Adopt-a-Cat UAE

Naema's Kittys 

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Animal Welfare Al Ain

Yanni Animal Welfare

Animals and Us Fujairah

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38 Smiles

Emirates Animal Welfare Society

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KittySnip

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Al Mayya K9 Adoptions 

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Stray Dogs Center UAQ

Sniff - Strays Needing Interim of Furever Friends

PARA UAE - Protection of Animal Rights Association

Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre

Shepherd Rescue Arabia

Friends of Rakawc 

UAQAC Umm Al Quwain Animal Care

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Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

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Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

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BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

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Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit

As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.

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Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Army of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder

Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera

Three stars

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UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

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Updated: June 10, 2022, 6:02 PM`
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