The most iconic emblem of the COVID-19 pandemic is the face mask. It has featured prominently in countless new street art pieces and modifications to pre-existing pieces. Most often, the artist's intent is to emphasize the value of masks and encourage people to join the collective effort to stem the pandemic by wearing one. However, some street artists have subverted the mask mandate, portraying masks as constricting rather than constructive.
The first image, entitled "Asfixiado" [Suffocated], viscerally conveys rage against the mask in Lima, Peru. The slogan on the second image, from Athens' central Syntagma square, reads, "This is not a mask; it's a muzzle." The third image clearly displays non-compliance with masking, but it is unclear whether the artist is communicating personal frustration with masks or critically commenting on mask refusal.
