Whether it is executed independently or commissioned by a gallery or a festival, today’s street art is finding its place on an impressive variety of surfaces around the globe.

In fact, the whole urban art movement could (and should) now be considered a fully legitimate one - no longer will graffiti, murals and other ephemeral works be considered vandalism.

And why should they? The splendid art we see coming in each month as part of our Street Update section is there to connect people, unite communities, embellish environments, inspire, and even give voice to those who need it. The nature of street and urban art has always been a versatile one, and those who were truly committed to it were sometimes rebels - but always with a notable cause.

There seems to be no doubt that street artists and their creations gained popularity, and continue to do so, mainly thanks to the digital and social media. Being public works of art, they reach out to a large audience nowadays always ready to spread the word and give them the much-deserved visibility.

This is where we, as Widewalls, come in to say we are proud to be a part of this phenomenon and all its aspects, through our dedication and respect of these incredible artworks and the masterminds behind them.

It is now that time of the year again where we thank them for their hard work by looking back at the last 365 days of it. We’d also like to thank our Instagram followers for appreciating it just as much as we did, for this list features 55 of the most popular street and urban creations we brought to you in 2017.

Behold, the most beautiful murals and street artworks of the year behind us.