Paris x Coldplay

If you’re one of the 24.5 million people around the world who identifies themselves as a Coldplay fan, chances are you’ve probably seen the artwork created for Mylo Xyloto, the band’s most recent album. If, on the other hand, you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you have no idea what you’ve been missing out on.

Finding an album whose artwork perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the songs for which it is intended to represent is a rare thing, which is why Mylo Xyloto’s bright, vibrant graffiti cover is such a triumph. Created by U.K.-based artist Paris—who has been tagging buildings and canvases since the ’80s—the graffiti wall pictured on the cover of the album is characterized by bright, bold splashes of neon in every color of the rainbow, from electric reds, yellows and oranges to shocking pinks, purples and greens. Look closely and you will see countless messages scrawled across the surface—some put there by Paris, and others by the members of the band.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Paris about working as the official “artist in residence” for Coldplay, and he was quick to note that collaborating with the group has been “an incredible journey.” And what a journey it has been: Paris was originally approached to help school Chris, Guy, Will and Johnny in the art and craft of old-school graffiti. That initial meeting in the studio turned into a full-fledged partnership, with Paris creating the album artwork, the sets for the music video for the song “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” as well as the sets for the Mylo Xyloto world tour. (His work could also be seen when Coldplay performed during the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Olympics!)

This part of Paris’ journey with Coldplay culminated in an art exhibition—conceived and organized by Album Artists—held in early December at Proud Galleries in Camden, London. The show featured original paintings by members of the band, the original MX graffiti wall, and a second graffiti wall created by Paris and children from the U.K.-based philanthropic organization Kids Company. If you weren’t lucky enough to be able to stop by the gallery to check out the work in person, don’t fret: You can order the artwork online! All of the proceeds generated from the sales of these pieces will be donated to Kids Company. If you’re not familiar with Kids Company, visit their website, or just check out what Paris had to say about the organization: “[Kids Company] is the best charity in the U.K. They’re doing so much good work for kids that really need help in London.”