Krakow’s walls speak volumes through symbolic murals. The street art in Krakow paints Jewish heritage and societal change with explosions of creative expression.
Street art in Kraków started as a form of expression during communism, when artists had limited freedom. Back then, voices were heard through unofficial posters and political graffiti. After 1989, the fall of the regime opened up public space, and city walls turned into creative outlets. Over time, more curated murals appeared backed by galleries, festivals, and initiatives like the 101 Murals of Krakow, the Jewish Culture Festival, and the ArtBoom Festival.
Walk through the hip district Kazimierz, the former Jewish ghetto of Podgórze or the quiet streets near the Old Town, and you can’t fail to encounter an ever-evolving collection of murals. From the iconic Judah and Lem’s Robot to Blu’s thought-provoking Ding Dong Dumb, each piece adds meaning to its surroundings.
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most striking, and some subtle pieces of street art in Kraków, uncovering the stories and artists behind them.
Where To Find Street Art in Krakow
Street Art in Krakow Map
Street art in Kraków keeps changing, with new pieces popping up all the time. This map highlights standout murals in Kazimierz, Podgórze, and the Old Town to help you plan your city break to Krakow.
|| CLICK FOR KRAKOW STREET ART MAP
Street Art Tours in Krakow
Street Art in Kazimierz
Judah by Pilpeled
The Judah mural by Israeli artist Pilpeled was painted in 2012 as part of the Jewish Culture Festival. It shows a young boy’s face merged with a lion’s mane. The artwork draws on the biblical “Lion of Judah” symbol, representing the enduring spirit of the Jewish people, particularly children, during the Holocaust.
The mural has become part of the city’s evolving story. It covers the wall of an abandoned house that was once home to a Jewish family and now towers above a group of food trucks. In recognition of its impact, the city renamed the area “Judah Square” (Judah Skwer).
About the Pilpeled
Pilpeled, born Nir Peled in 1985 in Herzliya, Israel, is a contemporary artist, graphic designer, and illustrator known for his distinctive monochromatic style. He began his career in 2005 in Tel Aviv, creating posters for parties and clubs, and has since expanded his work to include murals, installations, and collaborations with big brands. His art has been showcased in exhibitions worldwide and, if you love his work, his Pilpeled clothing and accessories brand that features his black-and-white designs.
|| LOCATION: Judah Food Market || INSTAGRAM: Pilpeled
Judah by Pilpeled
Ephraim Moses Lilien by Broken Fingaz Crew
Israeli street art collective Broken Fingaz painted this prominent mural in 2014 during Kraków’s Jewish Culture Festival. It covers the wall of a historically significant building once home to the Bosak family, who lived there for four centuries before moving to Israel after World War II.
The untitled mural honours Ephraim Moses Lilien, a Polish-Jewish illustrator known for his Art Nouveau style and strong Jewish themes. A graduate of the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, Lilien played a key role in shaping the Bezalel school art movement.
About the Broken Fingaz Crew
Broken Fingaz Crew (BFC) is a group of four multidisciplinary artists: Unga, Tant, Deso and Kip, who helped kickstart the Israeli graffiti scene. Their style is a cool blend of pop culture, 90s skate graphics and neo-psychedelia, and they’ve shown their work in galleries around the world. You’ll spot their murals on walls in Japan, Cambodia, Israel, Brazil and across Europe, including cities like London, Berlin and Kraków.
|| LOCATION: Plac Bawół 3 || INSTAGRAM: Broken Fingaz Crew
Ephraim Moses Lilien by Broken Fingaz
Kazimierz Historical Mural by Piotr Janowczyk
The artist Piotr Janowczyk painted the Kazimierz Historical Mural on the side of Pub Wręga. Part of the Kazimierz Historical Murals project in 2015, it features five portraits of figures tied to the district’s past: Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, cosmetics Polish-American entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein, architect Karol Knaus, Esterka, and King Kazimierz himself.
Each portrait comes with an English description on a gold plaque mounted beside it on the wall. These plaques give context to the historical figures and help people understand their connection to Kazimierz.
About Piotr Janowczyk
Piotr Janowczyk is a Polish visual artist and art historian, renowned for his large-format murals and contributions to street art across Europe. He manages the Image Registration Workshop at the University of Warsaw and has lectured at institutions like the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
Beyond murals, Janowczyk has directed films and animations, and also initiated the “Street Art Summer” project, travelling from Odessa to the Arctic Circle to document rock art and create portrait murals.
|| LOCATION: Józefa 7 || INSTAGRAM: Piotr Janowczyk
Kazimierz Historical Mural
For God’s Sake, Censorship is Everywhere by Pikaso
During Kraków’s 2012 Grolsch ArtBoom Festival, street artist Pikaso painted the mural For God’s Sake, Censorship is Everywhere. The piece was a direct response to the rejection of his original design by the powers that be for being too anticlerical. As a form of protest, Pikaso created this mural with a large faceless head obscured by a black slash to symbolise the silencing of artistic expression.
About Pikaso
Michał Linow, known by his street art alias Pikaso, is a Polish artist born in 1986 in Gdańsk. He began his career in street art, later expanding into painting, installations, and digital media. His work often tackles societal norms and the tension between the real world and cyberspace. Linow has participated in various exhibitions across Poland and other European cities such as Paris and Berlin.
|| LOCATION: ul. Św. Wawrzyńca 5 || INSTAGRAM: Michael Linow
For god’s sake, censorship is everywhere by Pikaso
Galicia Jewish Museum Mural by Marcin Wierzchowski
Commissioned through a design competition in 2013, the mural depicts a large menorah at its centre and the surrounding imagery contrasts pre-industrial Jewish life on one side with post-industrial elements on the other, illustrating the historical journey and resilience of the Jewish community. Wierzchowski’s design draws inspiration from traditional Jewish papercut art, utilising bold black outlines against a vivid yellow background.
|| LOCATION: ul. Dajwór 18
Street art at Galicia Jewish Museum
Plac Nowy sercem Kazimierza by Marcin Kowalik
One of the standout projects of August 2020 was a mural right in the centre of Kazimierz. Using Kamila Kochanowska’s design, Marcin Kowalik created a map of the district with a heart at its centre, giving life to the Plac Nowy sercem Kazimierza mural, which translates to “Plac Nowy, the Heart of Kazimierz.”
The idea came from local restaurateurs who wanted to improve the look of the building and bring the community together. They discovered Dr. Hab. Marcin Kowalik, a painter with community interests. He founded the “Fundacja Obraz W Pigułce” (A Dose of Painting Foundation), a project that brings art into children’s hospitals by turning young patients’ drawings into large-scale paintings. That’s how the mural came to be.
About Marcin Kowalik
Dr. Hab. Marcin Kowalik is a painter and associate professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. His work includes painting, installations, and performance art, often exploring abstract forms and the viewer’s perception. Kowalik has exhibited in over 50 shows across Poland and internationally, including cities like Berlin, Dublin, Brussels, Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Knoxville and New York.
|| LOCATION: Plac Bawół 3 || INSTAGRAM: Marcin Kowalik
Plac Nowy Sercem Kazimierza Mural
Singin’ in the Rain by Kuba
The Gene Kelly Singing in the Rain mural shows the infamous performance as he swings around a street lamp with the quote “I’m happy again”. The stencil art appeared in spring 2014 to portray a message about a city recovering from the horrors of the world war.
I did some digging online to figure out who created it. Originally, it was believed it was a Banksy giving it some notoriety although it is still shrouded in a similar mystery. Many believe Singing in the Rain was painted by Kuba, and a few thought it was Mr. Trololo. Some think it was inspired by Eduard Khil, Soviet-era singer, who replaced censored words in his “I Am Glad Because I Am Finally Returning Back Home” song with the “Trololo” sounds. His song re-surfaced in 2010 on the internet and became an viral meme.
No matter who the artist is, it’s become a well-known piece of street art in Kraków. On my recent visit in spring 2025, I noticed it had faded quite a bit since I first saw it in 2018. So go and look for it before it totally disappears!
|| LOCATION: Bożego Ciała 18
“Singing In The Rain” Photo taken in 2025
Street Art in Stare Miasto (Old Town)
Mural no. 658 by M-City
Polish street artist, M-City, created Mural no. 658 as part of the Art Boom Festival in 2012. The numerical title gives you an idea of how prolific the artist is. This bold piece on the side of the Józef Mehoffer House portrays Kraków as a dystopian steamship under siege by fish-like missiles. It is created with large-scale stencils and highlights urbanisation and societal challenges.
About M-City
Mariusz Waras, AKA M-City, is a Polish street artist and graphic designer born in 1978 in Gdynia, Poland, and studied graphic design and painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. M-City is known for his large-scale stencil murals that reimagine industrial landscapes, merging architecture, machinery, and cityscapes. With over 700 murals completed globally, his art has been showcased in cities like Berlin, Paris, and São Paulo.
|| LOCATION: ul. Krupnicza 26 || INSTAGRAM: M-City: Mariusz Waras
Mural No 658 by M-City
Małopolska Garden of the Arts
The Małopolska Garden of the Arts (Małopolski Ogród Sztuki) is a modern cultural venue in Kraków’s Old Town. There is a combines a theatre, cinema, gallery, and several branches of the public libraries. Just by the entrance to Arteteka, there are some commissioned murals along its wall shared with a local primary school. This open-air gallery is constantly changing celebrating students creativity so expect an element of surprise.
|| LOCATION: ul. Rajska 12
Małopolska Garden of the Arts
Street Art in Podgórze
Ding Dong Dumb by Blu
Ding Dong Dumb by Italian street artist Blu is one of Kraków’s boldest and most controversial murals. Painted in 2011 on a building in the former Jewish ghetto of Podgórze, this mural explores the complex relationship between Polish society and the Catholic Church. At the top, a pope-like figure preaches through a giant megaphone shaped like a church bell. Below, a crowd of people look up, their faces turned toward the sound, suggesting obedience and collective submission.
Blu is known for tackling political and social issues, and this piece hits hard in a city with a deeply Catholic history. Ding Dong Dumb feels almost rebellious as it challenges passersby to think about power and conformity.
About Blu
Blu is a street artist from Bologna who began painting walls in 1999 using spray paint, but eventually moved to house paint to work on a much bigger scale. His murals often include bold, cartoon-style characters and deals with politically-charged themes like capitalism, war, and inequality.
Blu chooses to stay anonymous and doesn’t sign many pieces, he lets his work speak for itself. You’ll find his art on walls across the world, including Rome, Valencia, Berlin, Mexico City and Kraków.
|| LOCATION: Corner of ul. Piwna and ul. Józefińska
Lem’s Robot by Filip Kużniarz
This striking mural titled “Think: Literature!” pays homage to renowned Polish science fiction writer Stanisław Lem, who lived, worked and died in Krakow. Created in 2012 by artist Filip Kuźniarz for the Conrad Festival, the artwork features a large, walking robot inspired by illustrations from Lem’s works, accompanied by a quote from his 1957 book “Dialogues”:
“In the end, people will shrink to the size of mindless servants of the iron geniuses and, perhaps, they shall worship them as divine“
This quote suggests that as we keep training machines to do our thinking and make life easier, there’s a real risk they could take over and outgrow us. It hits close to home with AI today. It’s a stark reminder that we still need to keep reading, learning, and questioning to stay in control and stop the machines from running the show.
About Filip Kużniarz
Filip Kuźniarz is a Polish artist and graphic designer with a background in street art and illustration. Whilst he is most famous for his the “Lem’s Robot” mural, he is also the owner of the branding agency Wizualni and a co-owner and graphic designer at Brokreacja Craft Brewery.
|| LOCATION: Corner of ul. Józefińska and ul. Krakusa
Lem’s Robot by Filip Kużniarz
PIN to Find Street Art in Krakow
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