Pøbel (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈpø̀ːbl̩]; ultimately from Latin populus meaning "folk" or "people") is the pseudonym of an anonymous Norwegian artist from Bryne, Norway. His work includes paintings, photographs, sculptures, placemaking and site-specific projects. He first came to national prominence in Norway in the mid-2000s for decorating abandoned buildings in the Lofoten islands in the north of Norway, bringing an urban street art phenomenon into rural areas and nature, thus sparking a debate on the meaning of "street art". Since then he has been involved in numerous art projects and also successfully released gallery works. His public art works can be found all over the world; Scandinavia, UK, Iceland, the U.S, India, Thailand, China, Japan, Russia, Peru and more. Pøbel started by teaching himself stencil techniques and started painting in 1999. Some of his first works appeared in Norway in the city of Stavanger and later Bergen. In 2006 he created some controversy when he spray-painted on a dead sperm whale that had stranded and was rotting on the shore in Eggum, Lofoten. In 2008 he participated in Banksy's Cans Festival exhibition. Pøbel started using the "Pøbel" name when he was a teenager.
