Tvboy

Salvatore Benintende (born 16 July 1980), known by the pseudonym TVBoy (rendered with various capitalisations), is an Italian neo-pop street artist. He is known for his murals depicting footballers and current affairs, particularly George Floyd following his murder, Vladimir Putin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Alexia Putellas following her first Ballon d'Or Féminin win. Having begun his work in street art in 1996, he has been described as "the Banksy of Barcelona", one of the cities, along with Palermo and Milan, he is known for decorating.

Career

TVBoy's works often depict current affairs. Many of his large murals are done in Gràcia, a location of much artistic culture in the city. Some of his art is dedicated to local icons, including painting Montserrat Caballé and Pau Donés after their deaths. He added another mural of Messi after he won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

He has created many murals to reflect support of Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, including in the Kyiv region and around Barcelona. In Barcelona, next to his mural of Putellas is one of a Ukrainian flag bearing the word "hope" with an image of a girl making its letter "O" into a peace symbol, and on one panel in Plaça Sant Jaume, the centre of Catalonia, he has created and updated various murals, depicting images including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling for an end to war; children planting a peace flag on a Russian tank; and Russian president Vladimir Putin incarcerated. The panel was later removed during façade renovations.

Exhibitions Please Don't Die, 2007, Iguapop Gallery Barcelona 2007, Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea Reality Pop, 2010, Gestalt Gallery (collection of many artists)

Gallery

Personal life He has a daughter.