Working Men

On a modest doorway in the city, Belgian artist JAUNE presents Working Men, a witty and poignant intervention that transforms overlooked urban corners into stages for miniature narratives. Two sanitation workers, painted in vivid orange uniforms with reflective stripes, sit casually as if on a break, their small scale contrasting sharply with the graffiti tags and rough textures around them.

JAUNE is renowned for his playful use of sanitation worker figures—characters often invisible in daily life yet essential to the functioning of cities. Here, their relaxed posture and quiet interaction humanise them, suggesting camaraderie and dignity amid the chaos of urban environments. By placing them in such an unexpected, marginal space, JAUNE shifts attention to those who usually remain unseen, elevating their presence into art.

Created in 2024, Working Men continues JAUNE’s ongoing exploration of humor, empathy, and the hidden rhythms of city life. Subtle yet striking, it encourages passersby to pause, notice, and perhaps rethink how they perceive both public workers and the overlooked details of their surroundings.

JAUNE is a Brussels-based stencil artist whose early job as a sanitation worker turned into the seed for his urban art mission. In 2011 he began placing tiny workers in fluorescent gear across city walls — capturing the paradox of those who keep the streets clean yet remain invisible. His multi-layered stencils teem with detail and humour: these mini “road-crew” figures don’t just pick up rubbish, they play golf with trash bags, ride pipes, take a break in unexpected spots. What began as a personal observation of invisible labour has grown into a celebrated body of work that cleverly turns public space into both commentary and playground. Through his art, JAUNE honours the unsung crews of the city, one little stencil at a time.