Born in Sète, France, Hervé Di Rosa is a French painter who brings to life unique characters who populate his work in the form of paintings, sculptures, installations and animations.
His style is similar to that of American artists Haring, Basquiat, Scharf and incorporates influences from graffiti and comic books.
In 2000, Di Rosa built a Museum dedicated to Modest Art in Sète, France.
In April 2019, controversy arose over a 1991 Di Rosa mural at the French Parliament which features two stereotypical blackface figures.
Di Rosa responded to the criticism saying “These two people allow themselves to accuse me of racism [and] have the nerve to act as spokespeople for the millions of victims [of slavery] and want to censor the work,” and accepted no responsibility for any offense caused by the work nor acknowledged that it could even be honestly perceived as racist.