It can be thrilling to discover the works of an artist previously unknown to you, and this is absolutely the case with street artist Sam3.

I haven’t been blown away like this by street art in a long time, mostly because so much of it, in my opinion, is derivative, with all the many Banksy wannabees out there.

But this guy’s stuff is amazing, like Matisse cutouts on a giant scale, with a little surrealism mixed in, and most appealing, to me, a distinct touch of sweetness that is often missing in the edgy world of street art.

As is common with street artists, there’s not much information about Sam3 online. The only thing I could find was a brief interview with him. It’s clear he’s European, but besides the fact that he’s obviously an incredible talent, that’s about all I know.

Anyway, Street Art Utopia has a large sample of his work, and there’s Sam3’s website, of course.

Here are some of my favorites: