Place-making and culture branding by graffiti artists in China: Analyzing urban creativity in the public space of Wuhan and Quanzhou

Graffiti in the public space serve as an effective means of visual communication in the urban environment. Drawing upon linguistic and visual analysis as well as ethnographic study of graffiti art in two Chinese cities, Wuhan and Quanzhou, this paper explores the local representations of the global graffiti culture under the specific historical and sociocultural context of China. The data highlight the urban creativity of graffiti art and reveal conscious, organic place-making at both micro and macro levels. Though different in governmental policies and city culture, the two cities’ public space displays graffiti artists’ active culture branding through self-expression and identity construction in a bottom-up way. The place-making through graffiti is motivated by site responsiveness, spatial dialogues and city identification and substantiated by site negotiation and transmodality, with the aim of deepening spatial communication and strengthening interpersonal connection and solidarity. The paper contributes to theoretical discussions on place-making and the corresponding transmodal practice in the public space with regard to local cities’ cultural traditions, based on longitudinal observation and documentation of graffiti culture in China.