Street art offers beauty, a laugh, some hope

Scrawled or masterfully crafted on walls and roads are messages of hope and warning.

Street art is getting inspiration from the coronavirus pandemic gripping the globe, offering some comic relief, wit, and beauty in a world where people are cut off from each other.

In some cases, the art urges people to follow safety advice. Celebrities and politicians are depicted wearing masks.

In Prague, people take photos with a graffiti image of John Lennon, whose nose and mouth are covered with a fabric mask that says, “All you need is love,” the title of the Beatles’ 1967 song.

Coronavirus germs depicted as cartoon villains are spray-painted on streets and walls in India and Kenya to get people to take precautions to prevent the disease from spreading.

While street art around the world is giving people something thought-provoking or entertaining to gaze at from behind their masks, it also can provide a glimmer of hope, like one mural in Los Angeles that implores passers-by: “Stay home, life is beautiful.”

Associated Press