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Artist fills a derelict apartment with portraits that pay homage to its former residents

Instead of seeing an abandoned, soon-to-be demolished, apartment as something that has lost all hope – French street artist Matthieu Laine, also known as Graffmat, has paid a moving tribute to its history by filling the empty space with a beautiful series of portraits of its former residents.

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A derelict apartment room filled with black and white portrait drawings of former residents painted on walls, cardboard and salvaged materials by street artist Graffmat

The artworks – known as Capharnaum – are painted on anything that has been found discarded in the apartment's rooms, including disused pallets, cardboard and old pieces of furniture. Although the portraits are a painful reminder for the people who once lived there, they actually piece together the happy life that existed in the apartment building during its heyday.

Originally from Chambéry, Savoy – art graduate Laine has developed a painting style that is diverse and enjoys the use of different mediums such as collage, wood, cardboard and canvas. Discover more of his beautiful work at www.graffmatt.com. Make sure you watch the video below to see the project in progress.

Via direct submission

A weathered sign reading "CAPHARNAUM" mounted on a dilapidated wall with peeling paint and metal railings visible above
Graffmat's Capharnaum installation features monochromatic portraits of former residents painted on walls, pallets and cardboard throughout an abandoned apartment
Portrait of a man with hand to face, painted in monochrome with dripping black ink effect on a weathered white surface, part of Graffmat's Capharnaum project
Interior of an abandoned apartment filled with black and white portrait paintings of former residents covering walls and ceiling, painted on salvaged materials by Matthieu Laine
Graffmat's portrait of a woman with long dark hair painted on overlapping cardboard and wooden pallets with mixed media elements in muted tones
Graffmat's black and white stencilled portraits of former residents cover the walls and ceiling of the abandoned apartment in his Capharnaum project
Profile portrait by Matthieu Laine with explosive black ink shattering effect across a white wall surface
Black and white portraits of former residents painted by Graffmat on walls and found objects within an abandoned apartment, viewed through a metal grille window
Multiple monochrome portraits of former residents painted by Graffmat on discarded materials including cardboard and pallets within the abandoned apartment as part of the Capharnaum project
Graffmat's weathered black and white portrait of a man with dripping paint effects, part of the Capharnaum project honouring former apartment residents
Black and white portrait of a man's face painted on a weathered, textured surface as part of Graffmat's Capharnaum project honouring former apartment residents
Portrait of a woman's profile painted on a weathered surface by Graffmat, with her hair and form dissolving into golden particles and dust
Portrait of a woman with arms raised behind her head in black ink on an orange and rust-coloured textured background with collage elements, part of Graffmat's Capharnaum project
Black and white portrait faces painted on wooden panels behind a weathered metal grille, part of Matthieu Laine's Capharnaum project honouring former residents
Portrait of a former resident painted by Graffmat on wooden panels in the abandoned apartment as part of the Capharnaum project
Graffmat's black and white portraits of former residents painted on discarded furniture and cardboard in an abandoned apartment, part of the Capharnaum project
Black and white portrait of a person wearing a white shirt, painted by Graffmat on cardboard in the Capharnaum project
Black and white portrait of a man with his hand to his head, painted on a weathered wooden surface as part of Graffmat's Capharnaum project
Graffmat's derelict apartment installation filled with charcoal portraits painted on found objects including cardboard, pallets and furniture, with sketched figures covering walls and ceiling
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