ROA

Internationally renowned for his highly detailed and illustrative murals, there is little known about the personal details of ROA, who like many in the street art community, goes by a pseudonym. Despite the anonymous nature of the artist, ROA’s work is instantly recognizable for its textured black and white style and animal subject matter. Rodents in particular are a source of inspiration for the Belgian painter, who has rendered rats, mice, rabbits, raccoons and squirrels on the sides of buildings all over the world. Endangered species are also an important subject in ROA’s work, usually corresponding to the location of the piece—the 80 foot long numbat painted on a wall in Fremantle, Australia was chosen due to its local endangered status. While most of the artist’s work is locational, ROA has occasionally shown smaller pieces with galleries, usually paintings done on found objects. In 2011, ROA was included in the controversial exhibition “Art in the Streets” at MoCA, in Los Angeles.