Joel Bergner is a North American graffiti artist who became fascinated with Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro in particular because of its rich, varied and socially complex history.

In Rio, he lived in the famous Cidade de Deus, or 'City of God' slum, where he worked teaching English and graffiti art to children while developing murals in the community - joel then went on to tell the story of the family with whom he was staying in Cidade de Deus, in graffiti on a wall in Washington.

the artist sees walls as democratic spaces in which people are able to have their voices heard. His work tends to depict rich scenes and emotive characters bathed in color and feeling.