Thierry Guetta born January 31, , best known by his moniker Mr. Brainwash , is a French-born Los Angeles —based street artist. He is of Tunisian Jewish ancestry.
A number of critics [ who? Banksy insists on his official website, however, that Exit Through the Gift Shop is authentic and that Guetta is not part of a prank. His work sold for five-figure sums at his self-financed debut exhibit Life Is Beautiful , due, it is thought, [ who? The exhibit was held in Los Angeles, California, on June 18, , and was a popular [ 3 ] success. In , Madonna paid Guetta to design the cover art for her Celebration album. Guetta was issued with a stormtrooper helmet, which he transformed into a work of art.
Proceeds went to the Missing Tom Fund set up by Ben Moore to find his brother Tom who has been missing for over ten years. Brainwash's first solo show, Life Is Beautiful , opened in the summer of , in a former T. Life Is Beautiful attracted thousands of people who lined the streets for blocks.
Featuring a foot robot, a pyramid made of 20, books and a life-size recreation of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks," Life Is Beautiful' s exhibition time extended to three months, attracting a total of 50, visitors.
The previous night the street outside the gallery was sprayed with paint by RSH as a statement about the false nature of Mr. Brainwash's artwork. Brainwash made his Canadian debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in , by placing installations all over the city. They included his signature 8-foot tall spray can sculptures, each one a different film genre, and lifesize Canadian Mounties cutouts, armed with boom mics and cameras. MBW will be participating in multiple events and a collaboration about the festival exhibit with Grace Kelly.
