TED will award $100,000 to photograffeur JR

TED conference, the California nonprofit brings together people of fields in technology, entertainment and design, planned to give the 2011 TED Prize worth of $100,000 to JR, an anonymous Parisian street artist, who identifies himself by his initials.

JR has become a “Robin Hood-like hero,” according to The New York Times. He has created gigantic photographic art to extol local residents in slums around the world.

Recipients of TED’s award often make use of the money to develop humanitarian projects, which will further draw donations and help.

On Wednesday morning, JR was reached by telephone in Shanghai. JR said he had not yet had time to think of a wish, but it would involve similar guerrilla art that he had created in Brazil, Cambodia and Kenya, according to The New York Times.

Called himself a “photograffeur,” JR had never applied for an award in his life, he was “stunned” to receive the TED Prize.

“If there’s one thing I’ve always taken care of with my work, it’s that it’s never an advertisement for anything other than the work itself and for the people it’s about — no ‘Coca-Cola presents,’ ” JR said, and maybe this was one of the reasons why TED picked him, according to The New York Times.