PARiS TONKAR™ /// The reissue of the CULTE book on Parisian graffiti!

The first French book devoted to graffiti, PARiS TONKAR has been the absolute reference since 1991, out of print for 25 years, and finally reissued!

This anniversary edition of PARiS TONKAR /// A 160-page work on the origins of Parisian graffiti, with almost 250 photographs and illustrations, not to mention unique texts on this emblematic period of the French and European scene ///

More than thirty years after the publication of PARiS TONKAR, we’ve decided to bring out an anniversary edition of the 1991 version to make part of our history accessible to all those who are curious about the beginnings of this art form in France /// This book made a big impact when it came out, and many generations have since been influenced by its content /// Tarek looks back at the history of this book in a FOREWORD in which he talks frankly.

The time has come to rediscover the early years of the graffiti movement, with the benefit of hindsight and accuracy, so that everyone can immerse themselves in the history of this key moment in urban art, illegal and authentic, creative and vandalistic, but still just as vibrant in 2024!
/// Tarek

The vandalism and creativity of Paris had even intrigued audiences across the Atlantic. In keeping with the spirit of the times, the publication of Paris Tonkar in 1991 made it the first book entirely devoted to tag and graffiti in Paris. This cult book brilliantly captured the vibrancy of the scene from 1987 to 1991.
/// Down with this, hip-hop magazine

PARiS TONKAR /// THIS IS :
A selection of over 250 reworked original photographs and illustrations that marked the history of the graffiti scene in Paris and its suburbs.
An INDEED foreword and texts on the origins of Parisian graffiti, including a monologue by Darco on the art and an updated list of crews from that period.
An essential book to have in your library.
An anniversary edition that adds colour and strength to the 1991 edition.
/// A beautiful GRAPHIC book conceived as a blackbook, with contributions from the major ARTISTS of the early years of graffiti in Paris and its suburbs.

/// Contents
Unpublished foreword – Preface – Glossary – Part One – TAG – Bloc Style – SHEST – B. Boy – Throw up – Métro – NASTY – Part Two – Introduction to the graffiti movement – Palissades du Louvre – BBC – JonOne – LOKISS – Mode 2 – 93NTM – Bando – De la Stef – DARCO FBI – The Keam Soul Graphics – The Stoned Angelz – PCP – Other crews – La Force Alpha – Odace – Kay – 93MC – ASA – 4AD – Popay – Index of crews

The book Paris Tonkar, by Tarek Ben Yakhlef and Sylvain Doriath, traces this gradual shift towards new, more complex and figurative forms of multicoloured fresco.
/// Télérama

Authors‘ biographies

Tarek Ben Yakhlef
Tarek, born in Paris in 1971, is a keen graffiti artist and has made a name for himself in illustration and comics, which he fills with his modern, engaging characters. Having grown up in the world of urban art, he immersed himself in graffiti from an early age, taking an active part in it in the mid-1980s. The camera soon replaced Tarek’s spray cans, and he became a privileged witness to French urban art. With a degree in history and art history from the Sorbonne, and a passion for street art, Tarek published Paris Tonkar, Europe’s first book dedicated to graffiti, at the age of just 20. Spray cans are never far away, and Tarek still uses them today to leave a trace of his time in this world on city walls. Tarek’s paintings can be found in the collections of art lovers the world over.

Sylvain Doriath
Sylvain Doriath, alias Eresy, joined Tarek in the Paris Tonkar book adventure in the mid-80s. With some of his photo reports and his knowledge of the scene, he helped bring the book to life. Years have gone by since the book was first published, and Sylvain’s life has changed radically.