Can you locate these 10 street art pieces, graffiti works, and stencil artworks scattered throughout Le Havre's various neighborhoods? Take the challenge and test your knowledge of the city's artistic landscape.
Is Le Havre an art city? When it comes to street art, this Ocean City definitely holds its own. Numerous murals and paste-ups can be admired in every neighborhood. Can you find these particular pieces? Here's a curated list to test your knowledge of Le Havre's walls.
1. Jace - The Yellow Gouzou Master
It's impossible to discuss Le Havre's street art scene without mentioning Jace's iconic gouzous. This Le Havre-born artist, now living in Réunion, has made his faceless yellow characters appear in countless locations throughout Le Havre and across France. On social media, dedicated fans even enjoy cataloging and mapping these distinctive figures. Do you have a favorite gouzou?
One particular weightlifting gouzou can be spotted at Fort de Tourneville, positioned between the Tetris building and entrance number 33. This athletic character showcases Jace's playful approach to integrating his art into urban landscapes.
2. Teuthis - The Precision Paste-Up Specialist
A master of precise paste-up techniques, Teuthis draws inspiration from his scientific background, creating works centered around maritime themes and, more recently, Perret architecture. This artist has become another essential figure on Le Havre's walls. Can you locate his distinctive diving helmet artwork?
The diving helmet piece is strategically placed facing the Galerne bookstore in the heart of downtown, specifically on Rue Larue. Teuthis has created numerous paste-ups throughout Le Havre's city center, each demonstrating his technical precision and thematic consistency.
3. Mascarade Meets Jace - An Olympic Confrontation
This piece represents an Olympic-style confrontation between two of Le Havre's most renowned street artists: Jace and Mascarade, featuring their signature characters. While the gouzous have achieved widespread fame, Mascarade's recognizable murals and paintings - often depicting the city through black lines and colorful touches - are equally appreciated. This Le Havre native alternates between large-scale wall murals and gallery work near the cathedral.
This collaboration can be found in a construction area well-known to street art enthusiasts and paste-up collectors, located on Avenue Foch near number 101. The space serves as an ever-changing canvas for local and visiting artists.
4. Be Pops - Master of Stencil Portraits
This stunning stencil drawing depicts a young woman taking a photograph, showcasing Be Pops' specialization in portrait work. Whether creating solitary figures or couples, Be Pops draws inspiration from pop culture and masterfully plays with contrasts between grayscale tones and vibrant colors.
This particular work is visible right next to the Caucriauville police station, surrounded by numerous other magnificent street art pieces that have transformed the area into an outdoor gallery.
5. Serial Colorz - A Tribute to Peace and Freedom
This powerful mural expresses desires for peace and freedom while serving as a tribute to the Reiffer commando unit. Created in July 2024 by multiple artists on a curved wall, this artwork was specially commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings. The piece was created by five graffiti artists from the Serial Colorz association, with assistance from the Patrimoine Aplemont and Frileuse association services, plus children from Paul-Bert school and the local recreation center.
The mural completely surrounds the water tower on Avenue Paul-Bert in the Aplemont neighborhood, creating an immersive 360-degree artistic experience.
6. Nefase - The Smiling Sentinel Characters
Several of Nefase's recognizable characters surround red graffiti lettering in the Eure district. These figures hold pencils and appear quite peaceful. These smiling characters can be found in multiple locations throughout Le Havre, creating a city-wide treasure hunt launched by Nefase. However, the artist has also created dramatically different works, including the suspended gardens mural collaboration with Kero.
These particular characters are located at the very beginning of Rue de Valmy, near the intersection with Rue Gustave-Nicolle in the Eure neighborhood.
7. Giulio Masieri - The Giant Curious Cat
This curious cat is the work of Italian artist Giulio Masieri. It was created during the COVID-19 pandemic in partnership with Galerie Hamon and other artists. The concept behind the piece was to show animals reclaiming urban spaces during lockdowns. The technique used incorporates natural materials, adding an organic element to the urban environment.
The giant cat observes passersby from the corner of Rue de Toul and Rue David d'Angers in the Sanvic neighborhood, very close to La Fabrique.
8. Kero and Luso - The Collaborative Rhinoceros
This colorful rhinoceros was created by graffiti artist Kero, but not alone. As part of the Les Amarts association's mission to enhance urban spaces, he was joined by graffiti artist Luso and children from the Eugene Varlin association. While the colors have faded somewhat over time, the animal remains imposing for a work from 2018 that was originally intended to be ephemeral.
This artwork can be easily found behind the gas station in Caucriauville, between Rue Laplace and Rue Lieutenant Clerivet.
9. Guilherme Coutinho - 'The Great Leap'
A spaceman and pink staircase adorn a wall in the Eure neighborhood - have you noticed it before? 'The Great Leap' by Guilherme Coutinho was conceived during Thomas Pesquet's latest journey around Earth, and this timing may not be coincidental. The artist created this work with Luso and Ivan LM as part of the Ephemeral Walls project by the Les Amarts association.
You can find this artwork on an electrical transformer in the Eure neighborhood, at 84 Rue Gustave-Nicolle.
10. Milludo - The Downtown Cosmonaut
This small spaceman is signed by Milludo, a Le Havre artist who describes himself as self-taught, alternating between stencil techniques, linocut printing, and even watercolor. This particular design has been reproduced in several locations throughout Le Havre. Have you spotted them all?
This specific spaceman was photographed on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, near Rue Edgar Larue, placing it in the very heart of the city center on traditional Portuguese-style tiles (azulejos).
These ten street art pieces represent just a fraction of Le Havre's vibrant urban art scene. Each work tells a story about the city, its artists, and its community, transforming everyday walls into an open-air museum. Whether you're a longtime resident or a first-time visitor, seeking out these artistic treasures offers a unique way to explore Le Havre's neighborhoods and discover the creative spirit that thrives throughout this Ocean City.
The diversity of styles, techniques, and themes represented by these artists - from Jace's playful gouzous to Serial Colorz's historical tributes - demonstrates the rich tapestry of contemporary street art culture in Le Havre. Each piece not only beautifies the urban landscape but also creates connection points between artists, residents, and visitors, fostering a sense of shared ownership and pride in the city's cultural identity.
