Greek street artist INO has garnered global recognition with his distinctive style, bringing impactful social and political themes to life through large-scale murals all around the world.
Known for his powerful portrayals of modern society’s struggles, INO uses his art to address capitalism’s darker sides and the challenges faced by everyday people. His minimalistic approach — with limited shapes and a grayscale color palette — gives prominence to the underlying messages. Yet, INO likes to leave room for personal interpretation, inviting viewers to engage deeply and question societal norms through their own unique lens.
INO began hitting the streets at age 15 as a member of Athens’ esteemed graffiti crew UDK (Ugly Dirty Kinky), a crew that has played a significant role in shaping the city’s graffiti scene. Initially focused on perfecting the rounded shapes of his letterforms, he gradually shifted to creating figurative murals that grew larger and more ambitious each year, establishing himself as a highly regarded international muralist.
Mounted on ropes and sketching with circular grids, INO developed his distinctive style—marked by broad, defined fields of gray tones and his signature splash of light blue, a feature he’s included in every piece since 2016.
In this article, I’ll guide you through all the public murals by renowned Greek street artist INO in Athens. From large-scale masterpieces to hidden gems, INO’s murals are scattered across the city, each telling a unique story about modern society, social issues, and the human experience. This guide will show you where to find his most iconic pieces, explore the deeper meanings behind his work, and reveal the stories and techniques that define INO’s distinctive style. Whether you’re a street art enthusiast or a traveler seeking Athens’ vibrant art scene, this tour of INO’s murals is the perfect way to discover the city through the eyes of one of its most influential artists.
- Where to Find INO’s Murals in Athens
- INO’s Murals in Gazi, Athens
- Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Leonardo” (2019)
- Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Vitruvian Man” (2019)
- Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Mona Lisa” (2019)
- Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “The Last Supper” (2019)
- Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Toxic Love” (2023)
- Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Freedom for Sale” (2019)
- INO’s Murals in Psirri & Monastiraki, Athens
- Where to Find INO's Murals in Athens
- INO’s Murals in Metaxourgeio, Athens
- INO’s Murals in Exarchia, Athens
- INO’s Murals in Piraeus, Athens
- Bonus Track: A ‘Graffiti Archaeology’ piece from 2010
- Where to Find INO's Murals in Athens
Where to Find INO’s Murals in Athens
On my free street art Google map of Athens, I’ve pinned all the INO murals featured in this article, along with other must-see murals, street art spots, galleries, indie bookshops, and my favorite places to eat and drink in the city.
INO’s Murals in Gazi, Athens
During my trip, INO was in the midst of creating this ballerina piece in Athens’ Gazi neighborhood. From this work-in-progress shot, you can see that INO’s grid isn’t a traditional squared layout; instead, it’s composed of circles and curves. This unique approach reminds me of the way he constructed his graffiti letters—rounded, smooth, and free of sharp edges.
Let’s head toward what was once the industrial heart of Athens, where the city’s old gasholders are still visible, though no longer in use. This busy stretch along Piraeus Street has been INO’s creative playground for years.
On my first street art trip to Athens in 2014, I discovered several of his iconic pieces here, including “Access Control” (depicting an Orwellian green eye observing people waiting at the bus stop) and a powerful image of a worker on the former gas factory, now transformed into the cultural hub Technopolis. You can find these works featured in my article about street art in Athens, which I’m currently updating with my latest discoveries—though I’m keeping the older photos online for documentation and archival purposes.
In 2019, INO returned to Piraeus Street with a new series commissioned to promote the “Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius” exhibition held at OSY, the former tram depot turned event space. This impressive, 90-meter-long mural is divided into four distinct sections, each reimagining a classic Da Vinci piece with INO’s contemporary twist, confronting today’s political issues and spotlighting social injustices. Technically speaking, it’s truly impressive that INO crafted the entire composition using only a roller!
Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Leonardo” (2019)
The first piece on the left sets the tone for the series, featuring Leonardo’s renowned portrait as if painted by INO himself. There’s no mistaking it’s INO’s hand holding the brush, as a splash of his signature light blue color flows from it.
Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Vitruvian Man” (2019)
Next is Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man”, originally conceived to illustrate ideal human proportions, as described by the Roman architect Vitruvius, who saw the human body as a model for symmetry and balance in architecture. In INO’s reinterpretation, however, the ‘perfect man’ has a barcode in place of his eyes—a reflection of how capitalist society views the ideal individual: a blind consumer who seamlessly integrates into the world of mass consumerism.
Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Mona Lisa” (2019)
Art history’s most famous gaze, that of the Mona Lisa, is reimagined by INO as a reflection on contemporary times, especially Athens’ current social climate. In one eye, we see the reflection of a protester; in the other, a riot police officer—an all-too-familiar scene in parts of the city.
Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “The Last Supper” (2019)
My favorite piece in INO’s Leonardo series in Athens is the Greek artist’s take on “The Last Supper.” Here, Jesus’ place is conspicuously vacant, symbolizing the absence of spiritual values among the world’s powerful figures gathered around the table, feasting at the expense of those who have nothing.
Those left with nothing are represented by desperate, zombie-like hands reaching up from beneath the banquet table, trying to grab anything they can, unaware that the feast has long since ended and nothing remains for them.
Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Toxic Love” (2023)
On the other side of Piraeus Street, you’ll find three more pieces by INO: one featuring an old-fashioned train, intentionally left incomplete by the artist, and a diptych of two figures meant to be viewed together. In this pair, a man reaches out, attempting to touch a beautiful woman dressed only in a bikini and a gas mask. The concept behind this diptych is the man’s entrapment in a toxic love relationship, one in which he’ll never truly reach or connect with the woman.
Murals by INO in Gazi, Athens: “Freedom for Sale” (2019)
Also located in the Gazi – Kerameikos area is INO’s mural of a girl with a dove—an image that might initially appear hopeful but carries a deeper message. In Freedom for Sale, INO portrays a girl with eyes shut, symbolizing blindness or censorship. Through this symbolism, INO addresses the pressures modern society places on personal liberty, as control and commercialization increasingly undermine true freedom.
Additionally, in this area, you’ll find two works reflecting INO’s earlier style: a girl playing a cello and the well-known Clockwork (2013), which depicts a man transformed into a mechanical cog in the capitalist system, trapped in a monotonous cycle with limited autonomy or creativity.
INO’s Murals in Psirri & Monastiraki, Athens
Murals by INO in Monastiraki, Athens: “Caryatids Crying” (2023)
One of my favorite murals by INO in Athens, this powerful piece depicts the Caryatids, the sculpted female figures from the Acropolis, as they weep for their country’s present state. Each Caryatids’ tears tell a story of loss, reflection, and disillusionment with the current world.
The figure on the left gazes towards the Acropolis, perhaps with a sense of nostalgia, representing the statue held in the British Museum and longing to return home. The middle figure looks down on today’s society, sorrowful over contemporary injustices, while the figure on the right faces the Greek Parliament, discouraged by the state of modern democracy.
Murals by INO in Monastiraki, Athens: “Apocalypse Now” (2021)
The piercing eyes of this masked figure—whose gender remains ambiguous—seem to follow you as you move across the intersection of Miaouli and Agias Eleousis, just behind Monastiraki Square. The balaclava has become a symbol of Athens’ revolutionary spirit, a city where frustration and anger against systemic failures overflow, and where frequent protests challenge the very structure of order, questioning the true cost of authority.
Murals by INO in Psirri, Athens: “Breaking Barriers of Equality” + “Escaping Reality” (2021)
These two murals, found in a parking lot in the trendy Psirri area, are meant to be seen as a narrative pair. In the first, a young girl grips a huge hammer, symbolizing her resolve to shatter barriers and fight for gender equality. In the second mural, the girl has grown into a woman and faces the hard truth that patriarchy remains entrenched; she bears the cost of being a woman, shown in her sad, withdrawn posture.
From a technical perspective, the first mural is painted with a special acrylic that supposedly absorbs pollution from the air, giving it a softer, more delicate look, like a memory suspended in time. The second mural, created with spray paint, is more durable, has better grip, and highlights INO’s signature silvery sheen. Personally, I prefer the color depth of the second mural—how about you?
Murals by INO in Monastiraki, Athens: “My World” (2021)
A girl and her world unfold in a striking vertical composition on a towering building near Athens’ Central Market. The length of her hair guides the viewer’s eye along the full height of the structure, showcasing how INO truly shines when working with a sky-high format.
Where to Find INO’s Murals in Athens
On my free street art Google map of Athens, I’ve pinned all the INO murals featured in this article, along with other must-see murals, street art spots, galleries, indie bookshops, and my favorite places to eat and drink in the city.
INO’s Murals in Metaxourgeio, Athens
Murals by INO in Metaxourgeio, Athens: “Managers” (2022)
This mural offers a critique of the dehumanization inherent in modern systems, depicting two faceless figures with mechanical heads to symbolize the loss of humanity in a corporate-driven world. These figures represent how society, especially in managerial roles, often operates in a detached, mechanical manner, reflecting a world increasingly driven by emotionless processes.
Murals by INO in Metaxourgeio, Athens: “Taken Over” (2022)
This mural honors the 90th anniversary of the Greek Guiding Association and was created with support from the Athens Municipality as part of the city’s public murals program. Unlike INO’s other murals, often painted with spray cans, this piece was crafted using acrylic paint, giving it softer, more nuanced hues with a gently faded, less contrasted look.
Murals by INO in Metaxourgeio, Athens: “Snow-Blind” (2016)
This mural marks the first time INO introduced the splash of light blue that has since become a signature element in his work. Created as part of a public awareness campaign on hepatitis C, the blue splash is shaped like a liver. The mural’s subject is a faceless man, blinded by his own success, so consumed by his relentless pursuit of wealth that he fails to realize he is, in fact, ill.
Murals by INO in Metaxourgeio, Athens: “System of a Fraud” (2013)
This was the first mural by INO I ever saw, the piece that opened me the door to the powerful artistic world of this remarkable artist. Today, the colors have aged, shifting toward dark green and burgundy, but the impact of Socrates’ severe gaze, staring down at you, remains as powerful as ever. His eyes are hollow and stern, as if saddened by the view beneath him.
- Read also: My love letter to Metaxourgeio, written in 2016.
INO’s Murals in Exarchia, Athens
Murals by INO in Exarchia, Athens: “Wake Up” (2014)
Surprisingly, there’s only one mural by INO in Exarchia, and it’s over 10 years old—a piece that offers a glimpse into the evolution of this Greek graffiti master’s style. The black-and-white palette is already present, along with the broad fields of color, though they’re less pronounced, while the iconic light blue splash has yet to appear.
Even so, INO’s desire to create murals that provoke thought and engage with themes of humanity and modern society is already evident. This mural critiques those who are spiritually “asleep,” with money as their guiding force. Its composition draws on religious iconography of resurrection, showing a god-like figure reaching down to grasp a dead man’s hand, as if to bring him back to life.
INO’s Murals in Piraeus, Athens
INO himself explained to me that, technically, Piraeus isn’t part of Athens—it’s a separate municipality. However, since there’s no real urban break between Athens and Piraeus, we’ll consider it part of the Greek capital for the purposes of this guide to INO’s murals.
Getting to Piraeus to view INO’s works is simple by metro, as it’s the last stop on Line M1. Keep an eye out during the ride; you’ll spot many pieces from INO’s longtime crew, the UDK, especially works by ROKO, along the tracks.
Once you arrive in Piraeus, you’ll be greeted by four murals by Greek graffiti master INO:
Murals by INO in Piraeus, Athens: “Lost” (2018)
My favorite mural by INO in Piraeus features a young woman with a swirling blue vortex enveloping her mind, symbolizing her being lost in thought. Set against a pitch-black background, this piece stands out strikingly against the urban landscape. Painted in acrylic on the wall, she appears overwhelmed, her mind consumed by thoughts she can’t escape.
Murals by INO in Piraeus, Athens: “Hippocrates” (2020)
This portrait of Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician from the Classical period and often regarded as the father of medicine, is fittingly painted on the façade of a medical clinic.
Murals by INO in Piraeus, Athens: “We Have the Power” (2015)
Two more murals by INO in Piraeus showcase the Greek street artist’s earlier style. As a researcher, I love when artworks from different periods help me trace an artist’s stylistic evolution. This particular mural is a favorite of mine, as it serves as a link between INO’s more recent style—though his signature light blue splash isn’t present yet—and his older approach, which I’ll delve into in the next paragraph.
Towering over Europe’s largest port, this mural also delivers a powerful message: that true strength lies with us, the collective, rather than with any god or singular influential figure. The child in the mural looks up at a portrait of the Greek philosopher Democritus, one of the founders of ancient atomist theory. This theory offers a materialist view of the natural world, suggesting that everything is composed of tiny, indivisible atoms moving within an infinite void, without needing any divine purpose to explain the world’s order and consistency.
Murals by INO in Piraeus, Athens: “Random Future” (2015)
Painted the same year as We Have the Power, this mural represents an earlier step in the evolution of INO’s signature style. We can already see the use of bold color fields, although the palette hasn’t yet developed into the trademark glayscale tones he later embraced.
Nonetheless, INO’s drive to create murals that address societal issues is clearly present. This piece, in fact, serves as a commentary on the Greek financial crisis unfolding at that time. It powerfully captures the uncertainty and instability of the future—one of the most dramatic consequences of the ongoing crisis.
Bonus Track: A ‘Graffiti Archaeology’ piece from 2010
To wrap up this article on Greek street artist INO, I have for you a hidden gem tucked away in a Hall of Fame in the northern outskirts of Athens. This spot serves as a time capsule, preserving graffiti pieces from as far back as 2010—an exceptionally rare find, as halls of fame worldwide are typically painted over weekly, if not daily. This unique location -however- holds incredible works dating back up to 15 years, including this piece by INO:
Even back in 2010, his remarkable talent shone through unmistakably—a testament to the powerful journey INO has taken from those early days to the murals that now define Athens.
Where to Find INO’s Murals in Athens
On my free street art Google map of Athens, I’ve pinned all the INO murals featured in this article, along with other must-see murals, street art spots, galleries, indie bookshops, and my favorite places to eat and drink in the city.
