Bezt and Natalia Rak
Knocking on Heaven’s Door
"My influences are old photos, daydreams, book illustrations, Marvel Comics books, and artists like Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), Jacek Malczewski, Norman Rockwell and Hans Rudolf Giger." - Natalia Rak
THE ARTISTS: Born in 1987 in Turek, Poland, Bezt is known for work that resists definition or excessively assigned meaning. Known primarily for large-scale murals painted with Sainer as part of the Etam Cru duo, his art juxtaposes saturated colors and loose brushstrokes with delicate, refined lines and patterns. The dream-like compositions often feature a central figure, silently contemplating the unknown, capturing the moment when someone is lost within their own thoughts.
Born in 1986, Natalia Rak’s passion for painting began at age ten. A graphics arts graduate of The Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, Poland, she has been associated with the international street art scene for three years. Rak has been featured in several group exhibitions in Poland as well as Walk and Talk Festival and Madeira Island, NYC Art Battles, amongst others. Focusing on female imagery, her dayglow paintings are noted for their mystery and metaphor.
THE ART: A mysterious and moody 152 ft. by 30 ft. mural depicting a woman wearing a backpack, looking backward and reaching out toward glowing pink butterflies.
THE STORY: “Knocking on Heaven’s Door is about finding beauty and never giving up hope, even when you may feel lost. The old houses and overgrown part of town represent being lost and unease, to an extent. The girl finding beauty in the butterflies is a metaphor for always finding light in the darkness, to never give up and always think positively.” - Thinkspace Curator, Andrew Hosner
THE PLACE: Soscol Avenue, south of Vallejo Street on the back of the Napa Valley Register building.
