AKORE. BARCELONA (SPAIN)
Akore is a self-taught street and multidisciplinary artist, widely regarded as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary urban art in Barcelona. His artistic vocation began in the late 1980s, within the cultural context of the emerging hip-hop movement in the city’s outskirts. During that period, he began creating his first sketches, drawings, calligraphy, typography, tags, and graffiti. Since then, he has developed a distinctive visual language that merges post-graffiti expression with African aesthetics—resulting in his signature style, Afrocolor.
Rooted in African spirituality, history, and identity, Akore’s work frequently features striking portraits of African women, symbolizing cultural memory and ancestral strength. Born in Murcia, a region very close to Africa, he maintains strong geographical, historical, and cultural ties with the continent, where he identifies his roots, ancestors, and spiritual identity.
Today, he is well known in the urban art scene for his colorful, powerful, and expressive Afro graffiti. His unique style, centered on post-graffiti, has been described as urban, primitive, tribal, abstract, hip funk, electro-Afropunk, defined as “Afrocolor.” His portraits and paintings of African women echo the soul of Mother Africa, to whom he has always felt spiritually connected.
Akore’s artistic practice is characterized by bold color palettes and an energetic synthesis of urban, graffiti, tribal, and abstract forms. He often paints on public walls in broad daylight, a deliberate act of creative resistance that breaks with established norms and reclaims public space. Guided by instinct, he sometimes seeks pure creative expression—art for art’s sake, hedonism, pleasure, and the act of creation itself. At other times, his work embraces provocation and the not-so-beautiful to challenge perceptions.
On a communicative level, Akore establishes a dialogue with others through lived experience—understood as a journey that conveys life itself. The conscious or unconscious use of social language in his art, sensitive to the rhythms of everyday life, seeks to connect with people and provoke reflection. For him, this dialogue is sometimes even more important than the aesthetic function of the artwork itself, as it transforms each piece into an act of shared humanity and cultural conversation.
A devoted supporter of environmental causes, Akore incorporates recycled and found materials—such as doors, traffic signs, fabrics, and scrap metal—into his artistic practice. This ecological approach underscores his commitment to sustainability and emphasizes the transformative power of art in confronting contemporary social and environmental challenges.
In addition to his studio and street work, Akore has contributed to academic and cultural discourse. He has delivered guest lectures at the University of Barcelona and the Palau de la Música Catalana, and his work is currently being studied by the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
His work has been featured in major media outlets including National Geographic, El País, La Vanguardia, MTV and Greenpeace, and in the internationally broadcast documentary series This is Art (Brutal Media / BBC Studios / TV3 / Movistar+), shown in over 80 countries.
Akore has exhibited across Europe and Asia, with shows in Spain, France, Germany, and Singapore, and he has painted murals and street works in cities around the world: including France, Portugal, Senegal, and Australia.
