He calls himself Rhytm the city painter. Using brush strokes, he tries to capture Zurich's soul with his work, which includes extensive probing of the city's relationship to the world of finance. finews.art discovers him in front of UBS.
He is surrounded by the frenzied pace of activity at and around Paradeplatz, although he speaks with pictures, not words. His pseudonym Rhytm reflects his artistic pedigree, as well as his varied hip-hop, street dance, and parkour background. You can often meet him there in the heart of the city with an easel, a sketch pad, canvas, paintbrushes, and paint.
Rhytm is interested in all walks of life (Image: finews.art / Renaissance Zürich Tower Hotel )
People Come First
Rhytms' art is more than color on canvas. They are a window to the city's stories. As a former dancer, he used the streets and buildings as a stage. Urban objects were a backdrop for his art. Every stroke of a paintbrush was a story about people and their emotions. He measures the urban pulse around him. His application of color and composition captivates by the intentional inclusion or omission of specific details that give the viewer a direct impression of the emotion captured.
Education in Zurich
He has been painting on Zurich's streets for a decade but his story starts much farther afield. The roots of his family are in the Côte d'Ivoire although he was born in 1979 in Biel. He graduated from Zurich's F+F School of Art and Design and now lives in the city, creating art on its streets.
Fighting Trends
Rhytm, who does not want to disclose his real name, works with galleries regularly. However, he has sometimes felt that Zurich's art scene is overly focused on more constructive and minimalist tendencies, posing a clear challenge for figurative painters. But he has remained true to his style, with his paintings dominated by black and white strokes, anthracite and sepia hues, and the occasional swatch of gold.
The artist captures the atmosphere of the financial center in Zurich (Image: finews.art)
Banking Landscape
His recent work in front of UBS is symptomatic of his worldview. It illustrates an attractive woman with her back turned against the financial institution's Pelikanstrasse premises. She seems uncertain of herself while holding a clutch. The picture is a comment on our society and the financial sector, showing the ambivalence of our contemporary relationship with money and security.
Exchange of Ideas
Interacting with the public is key for Rhytm. He discusses, gets into conversations, and lets himself be inspired by city streets. That leads to a dialogue that is just as much a part of the artistic process as the act of painting itself is. His works, produced in a studio or the open air, go for between 3,000 and 10,000 francs, depending on size and complexity.
Rhytm: «Was macht Dich aus?» 2024, acrylic, mixed media on canvas, 100 x 80 cm (Image: Rhytm)
Between Ideas and Commissions
He is inspired by contemporary artists such as Antoine Stevens and often uses female motives in his images. He does commissions but his own, spontaneous creations are the essence of his work. He watches urban life on tram and bus stops, at parties and events, and captures the impressions in his work.
Urban Bustle
During his subsequent training as a social educator, he learned to understand people and their stories. That ability also dominates his art. Rhytm is always searching for the authentic, the real. In contrast to digitalized works that often hide art behind screens, he creates pictures in the middle of the city, surrounded by noise and life as he finds the silence of a studio abhorrent.
Art on jeans jackets – a project undertaken with the Jelmoli department store. (Image: Rhytm & Denim)
Using Denim
Together with his wife, Rhytm has done something that goes beyond canvas, bringing an innovative fashion project to life with «Rhytm & Denim». The label puts street art on textiles, including cotton fabrics, but also jeans, leather, and imitation leather. He creates fashion going by the motto «People as living artworks». They do not only serve as clothes but they also tell stories of daily life in the city. The fact that they are so highly visible and recognizable gives the artist a new dimension, posing as an expression of individuality and even societal messaging.
The Riddle of Rhytm
The artist traipses through Zurich, always looking for his next motive, something that is worth capturing for posterity on canvas. He always keeps an eye on the banks in Zurich. He keeps his easel with him and refuses to abide by the city's approved zones for street artists, choosing to be spontaneous and free instead.
