The White Men of Jerome Mesnager

Jerome Mesnager is a French artist who made his name during the 80s with a spree of stencil art featuring a distinctive “white man” resembling an artist’s mannequin.

Although most of his pieces were removed within weeks or days, his prolific output means that there are still many classic examples to be found on the streets of Paris and its eastern suburbs.

The remaining pieces are mostly those which were commissioned by shop owners, such as on the window of a hair salon and outside the restaurant L’Émile (where the man is inexplicably wrestling a zebra).

Elsewhere in Paris, we’re lucky that the Street View car visited during lunchtime so we can see further examples on shop shutters. The man is painting pictures at a toy store on rue de l’arbalète and leaping for joy at an art gallery on rue de Montreuil.

The leaping continues at Mesnager’s workshop in Montreuil (right at the east of Paris), and two-storeys up at the Hôtel des Académies (where Mesnager also used the white man to decorate the interior).

Finally, a walk up the rue de Ménilmontant gives us even more Mesnager from here to there and even up there.

There’s doubtless many more of Mesnager’s pieces that we’ve missed, so have a hunt around Paris and leave a comment with your findings.

Unfortunately, there’s no English translation of the French Wikipedia article, neither of his official website, but be sure to check this flickr pool about the artist.

Thanks to Eric from Paris Daily Photo.