JR is the winner of the 2010 TED Prize, with a simple idea/art project that has packed a punch (and plenty of smiles) in tension-filled regions across the globe:

I wonder: were the people who passed this art on the street more inclined to look each other in the eyes as they continued on their way?

More on the project:

JR is an anonymous photographer and artist and the 2011 TED Prize winner. In his work, JR embeds into neighborhoods, favelas and villages around the world, photographing the people who live there and learning their stories — and then pasting his striking images onto massive local canvases: buildings, buses, roads and bridges. His latest global art project is called “Women Are Heroes.”

JR embodies the many characteristics TED looks for in a winner: creativity, vision, leadership, and persuasion. His work is not just stunning. It is innovative, using collaborative storytelling techniques, which move the art of photography in a new and exciting direction. His work is about unlocking the power of possibility, revealing our true selves to those who live around us and then sharing those stories far and wide.

JR attracts loyalty and respect from both his subjects, his friends and volunteers who help him mount all of his exhibitions. The scale of his work is huge, not just the size of each individual portrait, or the amount of space each exhibition covers in one place, but the number of communities and countries each project involves.

With thanks to Alex Smith for the tip about JR via her blog.