Invader

French · b. 1969

Invader is one of the most significant figures in the history of street art. Working anonymously since the late 1990s, he has installed thousands of ceramic tile mosaics — modeled on the 8-bit aliens of the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders — on buildings, bridges, and walls in cities across the world. The project is systematic, global, and ongoing: a one-person invasion of urban space conducted tile by tile.

Invader’s identity has remained secret since the beginning. He communicates through his work, through a website that documents every installation (rubikcubism.com), and through a points system that assigns numerical values to each piece based on difficulty, placement, and artistic quality. The secrecy is not a gimmick — it is integral to a practice that foregrounds the work rather than the biography.

The Practice

Each mosaic is made from standard ceramic bathroom tiles, cut and assembled into the pixelated forms of his alien characters, Pac-Man ghosts, or original designs that respond to specific locations. The works are installed at night, typically without permission, and are designed to last. Many have been restored or reinstalled by Invader himself after removal or damage.

The practice extends indoors through prints, multiples, and the “Rubikcubism” series, in which he assembles Rubik’s Cubes into mosaics of famous images. These editions bring the same pixel-logic and visual wit of the street works into collectible form.

Legacy

Invader has installed works in over 80 cities across more than 35 countries. His pieces have appeared in major institutional exhibitions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and Tate Modern. His prints and multiples are among the most actively collected in the street art secondary market.