Fresh Papaya
June 7, 2022
Behind the scenes: Papaya Spray’s studio and dog, 2022
Corridor Contemporary is happy to exhibit the works of a very young & promising artist, Papaya Spray.
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2000, she is the daughter of a programmer, teacher, and the eldest of 4 children.
As a shy girl living mostly in her inner world, Papaya Spray kicked all conventions. Instead of going the regular path of completing the army, graduating from a university and finding a job, she pursed her dream of making it as an artist. She began her first graffiti artwork in the Balfour Protest in 2020 where the left-wing activists were persecuted by the police. It was very exciting for her as a young, activist artist to be a part of this massive political movement being formed around her. However, this was only a foot in the door for her art career.
A mural street art by Papaya Spray in Tel Aviv, 2021
Sunday AM, 2022
Hand-signed by artist
Oil, Pastel and Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 180 cm, 47 x 71 in
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She decided to participate in an art preparatory program. There, she realized that she would receive positive feedbacks on works she wasn’t crazy about, and then received negative feedbacks on works that she made from her heart. As a result, she decided to quit the institutional way of painting and to be faithful to her autodidact path.
As part of her autodidact routine, she practices a 5 minutes sequence for a painting; she made herself a rule not to give up on any painting – if it doesn’t work, she adds to it until it does; she joined experienced, local street artists and helped them with big murals; and lately she added some fabrics to the canvases playing around with a sculpture attitude.
A sketch from Papaya Spray’s notebook.
Left: Autodidact routine. Papaya Spray assists the experienced street artist Oren Fischer. Courtesy of the artists
Feelings That Should Never Be Discussed, 2022
Gouache, acrylic, graphite, cloths and spray paint on canvas
120 x 190 cm, 47 x 75 in
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Papaya’s paintings are recognized for their black background. When painting in the streets she usually paints the black background in few spots and once it dries, she returns to finish the painting. When I asked her if she was scared of breaking the law, she said “when I was first starting out, it was a bit frightening, but today, she feels “If you behave like you are doing a normal act, then nothing will happen to you” a sentence she heard from other street artists Dede and Nitzan Mintz.
Her decision to currently stay anonymous under the name Papaya Spray was made after her ex boyfriend was spraying her street art paintings all over town. Besides that, she states that staying anonymous gives her “a free zone creating under a different name” and also, she can keep her privacy as well.
