“Boa Mistura,” Portuguese for “good mix,” is an urban artist collective conceived in Madrid, Spain, in 2001, and is comprised of a rainbow of souls—an architect, civil engineer, publicist, and some fine arts grads, a combination of talents that allows them to deliver bold public art projects. They’ve collaborated with Oxfam, the Red Cross, ONCE, and other organizations to complete social art pieces, and have developed projects on four continents.
In this collection of images, Boa Mistura brightened up a poor suburb in Sao Paulo, Brazil, using typography and anamorphism to deliver life-affirming messages (beleza (beauty), orgulho (pride), doçura (sweetness), firmeza (firmness), amor (love)) to the local residents, many of whom, based on the photos, seemed to have a grand time learning about art while helping slather on the flashy paint.
