Artist Spray Paints Colorful Tiles on Floors of Abandoned Buildings

javier de riba catalan floor tiles

Spanish artist Javier de Riba looked to his heritage as inspiration for his new series Floors. Born in Barcelona, de Riba drew on his Catalan roots—specifically the brightly patterned tile floors found in traditional Catalan homes—and twisted them into something unexpected. Using stencils and paint, he typically creates the ornate patterns on the floors of abandoned or unused spaces.

Crumbling apartment blocks in Tenerife, a neglected square close to public housing in Tarragona, or an abandoned hotel in the Azores—all the perfect canvases for de Riba’s work. By reactivating these spaces, he calls attention to what they once were and the possibilities they could have, if only they were given proper attention. The dazzling colors of the freshly painted pavement sit in stark contrast to the surroundings, which slowly fall into decay. And while de Riba’s project is similar in feel to the Portuguese artist Add Fuel, his choice to paint floors reminds us that art belongs everywhere, not only on walls.

Watch the video below to see how de Ribera and his team execute the complex painting. The artist also sells prints of each floor via his website.