A fresh mural from graffiti legend Lady Pink now covers the side of Kiehl’s at 9th Avenue and W47th Street — replacing a fading, decades-old piece by beloved French cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé, whose whimsical cyclist had long been part of the block’s charm.
Graffiti artist Lady Pink put her mark above the Kiehl’s shop on 9th Avenue as part of their Holiday Joy Fest. Photo: Catie Savage
Before her vibrant work took shape, the wall carried a quieter piece of neighborhood history. In 1985, when the building housed the bicycle shop Metro Midtown, Sempé — beloved for his New Yorker covers — was commissioned to paint a mural of a man pedaling through the city.
It was rendered in the delicate, humorous style that made Sempé famous, and mirrored both the shop’s trade and his signature view of small figures dwarfed by urban life. Over the decades, the paint peeled and faded, the rider slowly disappearing into the brick. Even the metal bicycle emblem that was once embedded in the sidewalk outside the entrance was removed recently, as work to replace wheelchair ramps along the block has reshaped the corner’s look.
The new mural covered one by French cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé that was commissioned for Metro Midtown bike shop in 1985. Photo: Phil O’Brien
Now, nearly 40 years later, Lady Pink’s mural covers what remained of that fading image — layering her bold, joy-filled color over Sempé’s ghostly outlines and adding a new chapter to the wall’s long artistic life.
A pioneer of New York’s 1980s graffiti movement, Lady Pink (born Sandra Fabara in Ecuador) began painting subway cars at 15 and went on to exhibit internationally, with work now held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney and Brooklyn Museum.
Commissioned by Kiehl’s, the new mural turns the side of the skincare shop into a bright canvas of movement and energy. Lady Pink supervised the work from street level as her husband, fellow graffiti artist SMITH, and studio assistant Matt painted.
“First Lady of Graffiti” Lady Pink in front of her mural above Kiehl’s on 9th Avenue. Photo: Catie Savage
Though she’s long since traded New York for a quieter life upstate, Lady Pink still returns for special commissions that connect her to the city’s streets. “I started painting subway cars in ’79,” she said. “Back then, it was about claiming space — saying we exist. Now I get to share that same energy in places that welcome it.”
Kiehl’s received permission from the building’s owner to repaint the long weathered wall, with the company describing the project as a celebration of creativity and community ahead of the holidays. The mural came together in just one day, with Lady Pink’s team working from morning to night to complete the large-scale piece.
The mural coincides with Kiehl’s Holiday Joy Fest, a pop-up event taking place at the 9th Avenue shop this weekend. Alongside the outdoor installation, the event will feature hand-painted customizations by artist SAM, complimentary DermaReader skin consultations, and treats from ROYCE’ Chocolate. A live DJ will round out the festivities — part product pop-up, part neighborhood hangout.
Visitors will also find a limited-edition display designed by Lady Pink herself — filled with dozens of products painted and signed to create one complete mural. “Even as they take the products, I painted inside the shelf so it doesn’t look like crap,” she revealed.
Though her primary focus is now on gallery and museum work, Lady Pink still takes on commissions. “We do all kinds of projects — exhibits, private commissions, commercial commissions,” she said. “I’ve got a small crew I’ve trained for years. When something special like this comes up, we do it together.”
Lady Pink took a ride in the lift to check out the work on Monday afternoon. Photo: Catie Savage
While taking photos of the completed mural, a longtime W47th Street resident told us they understood the impulse to refresh the wall but still felt the loss of what came before. “You respect the artistry of the old school,” they said. “That mural was part of the neighborhood fabric and now it’s covered forever.”
“Murals are living things,” said Lady Pink. “They fade, they chip, they get painted over. That’s not a bad thing — it’s part of the rhythm of the city.”