This was our first mural experience, from October of 2012. We have since moved from the Market Street store, where this was adjacent to our back parking lot. Following our departure and the demolition of the building, taggers hit this mural hard and the construction obscured the view. Now these photos provide a link to the past, when this piece of art was featured in 7x7's article  The Best Hidden Murals in San Francisco.

In 2004 Herakut came together, finding a magic synthesis between the artistic skills and specialties of Hera’s broad, quick strokes and Akut’s photorealistic detail that has become an internationally recognized style. Their recent novel concept is The Giant Storybook Project, which chronicles the creation of a new children’s book that Herakut is developing in collaboration with actor Jim Carrey. The project was launched in September 2012 and lasted through winter of 2013, in which time 14 murals were created. The story slowly unfolded as Herakut made their way through cities around the world. The murals introduce Jay, Lily, and the fantastical creatures in their world with imagery focusing on the juxtaposition of humans and nature.  

For the seventh mural in the series, Herakut used a roughly 30′x80′ canvas above our back parking lot. In Herakut’s artwork the people and animals are created as a commentary on human nature, on the ups and downs of all the small wars we fight within ourselves. This mural features a fearful looking Creative Spirit, perhaps an extension of Jay’s creative spirit in Mural 6, chasing a girl over the city rooftops. She appears calm, protected by the Silly Monkeys, and the mural’s text reads “It’s all in your head. When we can let go of our fear, we are safe.” A growing cast of characters of the imagination, perfect for an illustrated children’s book.

This event came together through a collaboration between Flax and WallspaceSF, and we thank the San Francisco Community College District who granted us permission to use their wall. A dreary wall has become a lasting piece of art and contribution to the community.

She’s Hera, he’s Akut.

Herakut is a German artist duo made of Jasmin Siddiqui and Falk Lehmann. They share a symbiosis in their art, as well as in their name, which is a blend of their street names Hera and Akut. In addition to their highly visual murals, Herakut’s paintings have appeared in dozens of gallery exhibitions, and two books have been published,The Perfect Merge and After the Laughter.