Meet the Street Artists Reclaiming San Pedro Sula from Gang Culture

In a city like San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where local gang activity has cultivated top per-capita homicide rates worldwide, making street art isn't just a hassle—it's life-threatening. In our upcoming documentary presented by Nixon, Street Art to Save a Generation | Art World: San Pedro Sula, we follow two artists risking life and limb to reclaim their city with art.

First, we follow Rei Blinky, who offers an alternative to gang life by inviting local youth to help paint stunning, often psychedelic community murals. "I receive messages every day from kids that want to come paint," he says while decorating a bridge's underside with a many-eyed face. "Honduras is not a lost cause."

Then we speak to Maeztro Urbano, an anonymous artist who makes murals and fake street signs dripping with political symbolism. "The gangs have always been using these walls to intimidate and create collective panic," he tells The Creators Project host Lucia Anaya in the teaser above. "Maeztro Urbano is a personality that focuses on turning the situations in which we live, and turning them into art."

Keep an eye out for Street Art to Save a Generation | Art World: San Pedro Sula coming next week, but meanwhile glimpse Maeztro Urbano and Rei Blinky's stunning efforts to beautify the streets and soul of the city in the Instagrams below.

A photo posted by Rei Blinky (@reiblinky) on Dec 5, 2015 at 9:57pm PST

A photo posted by Rei Blinky (@reiblinky) on Nov 25, 2015 at 10:50am PST

A photo posted by Rei Blinky (@reiblinky) on Nov 22, 2015 at 8:08pm PST

A photo posted by Rei Blinky (@reiblinky) on Nov 12, 2015 at 8:44am PST

A photo posted by Maeztro Urbano (@maeztro_urbano) on Aug 17, 2015 at 3:50pm PDT

A photo posted by Maeztro Urbano (@maeztro_urbano) on May 1, 2015 at 2:44pm PDT

A photo posted by Maeztro Urbano (@maeztro_urbano) on Apr 16, 2015 at 4:28pm PDT

A photo posted by Maeztro Urbano (@maeztro_urbano) on Oct 2, 2015 at 6:34pm PDT

A photo posted by Maeztro Urbano (@maeztro_urbano) on Sep 28, 2015 at 4:11pm PDT

See more of Rei Blinky and Maeztro Urbano's work on Instagram.

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