World Up

Via our friends at 4Real, we are loving street artist JR’s new project:

Women Are Heroes

With nearly a decade of public exhibitions behind him, renowned undercover photographer JR this week launched his newest public exhibit in one of Africa’s largest and poorest slums, Kibera, Kenya. Famous for transforming his photos into posters and using them to make “open space galleries out of our streets,” JR’s latest exhibit is not only his most ambitious to date, but also has no set end-date scheduled.

Covering 2,000 square feet of rooftops and train cars with the eyes and faces of Kibera women, JR’s latest action is visible from space and can be seen on Google Earth. The posters were printed on waterproof material, so in addition to beautifying the rooftops they will also protect inhabitants from the brutal downpours expected in the upcoming rainy season.

The exhibit is part of a multi-action project called Women Are Heros, which aims to highlight the dignity, courage and noble struggle of women around the world.

So far, Women has exhibited in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya and Belgium, and plans for installations in various other Western countries are underway. In the coming year, JR also plans to develop Women Are Heros in India, Cambodia and Laos. He is currently in Brazil putting together another action for the project.

Women is itself a part of a larger project, 28 Millimeters, which includes 2007’s Face 2 Face and 2006’s Portrait of a Generation.

WATCH THIS!