Artist Focus | Better – Parisian Cool, Recycled Dreams, and the Art of Reinvention

When you first land on Better’s Instagram feed (@91better), you’re instantly hit with a sense of nostalgia wrapped in urban energy. Spray cans, vintage boomboxes, cassette tapes, and skateboards are all transformed into unique art pieces, each radiating a cool, rebellious pulse that feels distinctly 90s yet effortlessly modern. His bio reads “Artist from Paris living the dream” – and from the looks of it, he truly is.

Currently based by the sea in the southwest of France, Better’s journey has taken him from the suburbs of Paris to Sweden and across Europe in his campervan, painting wherever inspiration strikes. “I’ve been living in the southwest of France, by the sea, for a year. Before that, I lived in Sweden for five years,” he says. “All of these places have shaped my work, but I believe it was my first 25 years growing up in the suburbs of Paris in the 90s that truly shaped my work.” That decade – with its golden era of hip-hop, street culture and DIY creativity – remains central to both his art and his philosophy.

From Spray Cans to Boomboxes

What makes Better’s work so striking is his ability to turn almost any object into a canvas. His pieces are a celebration of individuality and culture – hand-painted tributes to the things that defined a generation. “I mainly create custom works. I recycle old objects to give them a second life,” he explains. “I can paint on any medium, as long as the object inspires me.”

That ethos has led to a growing body of work that’s part pop art, part street culture revival. Skateboards, basketballs, and old-school stereos all find their way into his projects. “I paint skateboards because I skateboarded as a teenager, I paint basketballs because I played basketball as a kid, or I paint vintage boomboxes because I love hip-hop music,” he adds. Each piece is a deeply personal time capsule, yet instantly relatable to anyone who grew up during or feels connected to that golden 90s aesthetic.

“Be Cool Is the Message”

While many artists explore deep emotion or abstract themes, Better’s mantra is refreshingly simple: be cool. “As I like to write on a lot of my work, ‘Be cool is the message.’ I just paint what I think is cool,” he says. There’s a sense of freedom in that – an unpretentious celebration of style, rhythm, and playfulness. His art doesn’t demand interpretation; it invites you to enjoy the ride.

That authenticity clearly resonates. One of his biggest breakthroughs came when a video of his custom vintage boombox racked up over three million views on Instagram. “It was for my first custom vintage boombox,” he recalls. “I gained over 10,000 followers, which helped me a lot in my development.” The reel became a viral moment that catapulted his work to new audiences, marking a turning point in his artistic career.

The Grind Behind the Glamour

Yet for all the effortless cool that defines Better’s art, he’s quick to acknowledge the grind behind the creative dream. “The hardest part is all the non-creative stuff – a lot of it,” he admits. “Learning how to market myself as an artist, building my social media following, pricing my work, emailing galleries, and packing and shipping sold pieces. It’s a real job, and it can be difficult to stay organised at times.”

Like many independent artists navigating the modern creative landscape, Better has had to become a one-man brand, balancing his artistic drive with entrepreneurship. But that challenge hasn’t stopped him from continuing to evolve. “I started painting my favourite childhood characters, but after a while, I realised that many artists were doing the same thing. So I started creating my own designs, which were more successful.”

Now, his work merges two distinct aesthetics – one “underground, dark and raw,” the other “pop and colourful.” Both are bound together by graffiti’s energy, a visual heartbeat that runs through everything he does. “I like to mix two styles,” he says. “These two styles are created from a graffiti base that connects them.”

Living and Painting Freely

Unlike many artists tied to a single studio or location, Better’s creative process is nomadic. “I don’t have a studio, but that’s never been a problem for me,” he says. “I paint in the snow of Sweden, on the beach in France, in my campervan while travelling in Europe, or simply on my couch while watching a movie.” That free-spirited approach is reflected in the work itself – spontaneous, mobile, and unbound by convention.

Currently, Better is working on three commissioned projects – “three custom boomboxes for a store in Germany, another for Suno Music, and a custom turntable for a client in Sweden.” Alongside these, he’s preparing for his next big step: finding an exhibition space for 2026.

The “Wow” Effect

What does Better hope people take from his art? Simply joy – and a sense of surprise. “When people discover my work, I want to give them a ‘wow’ effect by creating eye-catching pieces,” he says. “I want them to think, ‘Okay, this is awesome!’ More than impressing them with my skills, I want to surprise them with my creativity.”

And that’s exactly what he does. Each hand-painted object feels like a flash of memory, a remix of retro culture, and a piece of Parisian flair distilled into colour and form.

Advice from Better

When asked what guidance he’d offer to fellow or aspiring artists, Better’s response is grounded and honest. “I advise you to go for it, of course, but also to be patient in developing your style,” he says. “Be prepared to be disappointed, even to lose motivation at times, but always keep going even in difficult times.”

It’s advice born of experience – from long nights of trial and error, to packing boxes, to painting in a campervan while chasing the next great idea. In a world of fast trends and fleeting fame, Better’s story is one of persistence, reinvention, and coolness with a conscience.

For now, you can find his latest works on Instagram @91better and shop his pieces at betterartworks.com. Some of his creations can also be seen at the Linea Design gallery in La Rochelle, France – where his story of creativity, travel and transformation continues to unfold.

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