French Vietnamese artists blend graffiti and music to help orphans

DJ Florian Picasso, an adopted great-grandson of Spanish painting legend Pablo Picasso, played EDM while painter Cyril Kongo created eight graffiti works that will be auctioned for charity. This was the first time both artists of Vietnamese origin were collaborating on a project.

The 90-minute event was live-streamed on both artists’ social media accounts last weekend.
All the money generated from the auction will be donated to the Quang Chau orphanage in Da Nang, under the sponsorship of the Global Gift Foundation, an organization that seeks to initiate positive changes in the lives of children, women and families.

Cyril Kongo paints Florian Picasso on a graffiti work.
The art show took place at the Villa La Californie that was built in Cannes in 1902, France. Pablo Picasso had stayed in the building from 1955-1961.

Florian was born in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City and adopted when he was three months old.
Growing up in Paris and then moving to Cannes, he was exposed to art while living in the mansion, and later developed a passion for music.
He started composing at the age of 13 but did not become a professional musician until he was 19, making House music.
He was ranked 39th in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs ranking for 2018. The 31-year-old DJ has produced many hits like "Kirigami", "Cracked Wall" and "This is our time" that have garnered millions of YouTube views.

Although he has grown up in France surrounded by European art, "I was and will always be a kid from Saigon until the day I die," said Florian.
He has also composed a series of songs on Vietnam titled "Saigon," "Hanoi" and "Da Nang".

Cyril Kongo, whose real name is Cyril Phan, was born in 1969 in Toulouse, France, to a Vietnamese father and French mother. He started his graffiti career as a freelance artist at 18. Within a decade, he became known in the street art community for his drawing techniques, expressions and humanitarian values showcased in his works.

One of the eight artworks created by Cyril, inspired by Paris, where Kongo started his graffiti career and Hanoi, where he opened his world's only private gallery.