Up until Case Maclaim got involved, street art was characterised by a rather cartoonish style with bold typography. At the end of the 20th century, the German artist and his Ma’Claim Crew put a startling end to that. In fact, today Maclaim is seen as the godfather of (photo)realistic street art, as the guy who erased the line between graffiti and painting. In short, the perfect street artist to create a portrait of James Ensor – based on his illustrious 1899 Self-Portrait with Masks, but featuring the white ‘smiley face’ that often recurs in Case Maclaim’s portraits.
