Fanakapan: The London Artist Who Makes Walls Float

Fanakapan: The London Artist Who Makes Walls Float

If you’ve ever walked through Shoreditch or Berlin and thought a set of shiny chrome balloons was somehow glued to a wall — only to realize they were painted — you’ve probably met the work of Fanakapan. The British artist is famous for his hyper-realistic “balloon art,” turning dull city walls into reflective, floating illusions that make passers-by stop, stare, and smile.

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From London Streets to Global Walls

Born and based in London, Fanakapan started out painting stencils and stickers in the early 2000s before developing his now-iconic balloon style. Trained as a prop maker and sign painter, he had an eye for detail and a love for playfulness. His breakthrough came when he began experimenting with metallic effects — studying how light bends and reflects on silver surfaces. The result? A technique that made paint look like steel, glass, and air all at once.

Today, Fanakapan’s art can be found in London, Berlin, New York, Miami, and beyond. His large-scale murals have become landmarks, each reflecting the surrounding world — quite literally — through shimmering balloon letters and characters that seem to hover off the wall.

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The Illusion of Air: How He Creates It

Fanakapan’s technique is all about precision. Using spray paint, layered gradients, and pinpoint highlights, he reproduces how light reflects on real metallic foil. What makes his work stand out isn’t just skill — it’s the energy behind it.

Each mural takes days to complete, and he often works freehand, building light and shadow in real time as the city’s daylight shifts. The results are so photo-realistic that even locals sometimes mistake his paintings for physical inflatables.

Common motifs include:

• Chrome balloon letters and numbers spelling playful or cryptic messages.

• Reflections of the surrounding city — a self-aware nod to how urban art belongs to its environment.

• Collaborations with other artists, most famously with Berlin’s 1UP Crew, where balloon-style chrome letters meet graffiti’s raw, energetic edge.

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Themes and Meaning Behind the Shine

Though fun and pop-inspired, Fanakapan’s work often hides commentary on modern consumerism, ego, and the idea of surface over substance. The balloons — fragile, temporary, and reflective — mirror our obsession with image and perfection. They capture the tension between weightlessness and gravity, celebration and emptiness.

His murals in Berlin and London frequently weave humor into critique. A floating “SMILE” or “LOVE” tag might seem simple — until you notice its reflection bending a grimy streetlight or a passerby’s face.

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Notable Works & Collaborations

• “1UP Balloons” – Berlin, Kreuzberg: A striking collaboration with the legendary graffiti collective 1UP Crew. The metallic “1UP” balloon letters hover in sharp contrast to 1UP’s bold tagging style — a blend of hyper-realism and raw graffiti energy.

• “Press Start” – Miami Art Basel: A nostalgic nod to gaming culture, rendered in full chrome balloon font.

• “Balloons & Bones” – Shoreditch, London: A large-scale mural juxtaposing shiny balloons and skeletal imagery, merging playfulness and mortality.

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Fanakapan’s Influence in the Street Art Scene

Fanakapan’s style has helped push street art into a new dimension — literally. His optical illusions blur the line between painting, sculpture, and design. By making air and reflection his medium, he challenges what’s possible with aerosol paint.

He’s part of a generation of artists proving that street art can be technical, thoughtful, and globally resonant — while still being fun.

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Where to See His Work

• Shoreditch, London – his home base and open-air studio.

• Berlin (Kreuzberg & Friedrichshain) – collaboration pieces with 1UP Crew and local writers.

• Miami (Wynwood Walls) – large-scale murals for Art Basel.

• Los Angeles & New York – recent solo walls exploring typography and movement.

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Final Thoughts

Fanakapan’s murals are more than optical tricks — they’re reminders that art doesn’t need to shout to be bold. A single reflective balloon can make a whole street feel lighter.

So next time you’re wandering through Shoreditch, Berlin, or any city with his work, take a moment to look closer. You might just see yourself reflected in the wall.