Created for Colors Urban Art 2025

For his mural in Strasbourg, Pablo Astrain turns to a universal setting: the kitchen. At first glance, the upper part of the scene feels calm and familiar, echoing a space where families gather and everyday life unfolds. But the lower half disrupts this quiet atmosphere. Shattered plates scatter across the composition, suggesting an interruption, a gesture, a moment that has just slipped out of frame. The mural feels alive—full of movement, conversations, and memories suspended in time.

Astrain chose the kitchen precisely because it belongs to everyone. No matter the culture, it is a place of transmission, where stories, recipes, and traditions are shared. The dominant green tones blend with the school’s environment, yet they are far from peaceful. As the artist says, some colors gritan—they shout. Here, they pulse with energy, drawing viewers in and challenging them.

His lines oscillate between structure and rupture, creating a subtle tension between order and chaos. At the center of the work, the broken plates open multiple interpretations: the weight of heritage, the choice to break from tradition, the fragility of daily life, or the joy and conflict that accompany shared meals.

Astrain offers no fixed meaning. Instead, he invites students and passersby to project their own stories—transforming the mural into a collective, ever‑evolving narrative.