graffiti in rio de janeiro is truly special - not only is it unique in both style and substance, but it is on the forefront of the evolution of street art and challenges the ways the people traditionally think about these visual manifestations of culture.

as a relative newcomer to the global urban art scene, rio brings with it a fresh and inspiring perspective that is turning heads and setting trends the world over.

since 2009, street art has been decriminalized in brazil so long as it is done with consent of the owners of the structure in question.

while, by some accounts, this was a case of law merely recognizing and legitimizing what had already been happening in practice, in reality this has allowed established and law-abiding artists to create where it was impossible before.