Billi Kid
Billi Kid is an NYC street artist, curator, life-long doodler, art enthusiast and design junkie. His work blur the lines between graffiti, pop culture, iconography and art. Never to busy to look, feel and listen, his collaborative works with artist from around the world have been celebrated in both the media and street art community alike. His passion for the streets has led him to curate ground breaking exhibitions that have helped bridge the gap between the urban landscape and the sterile indoor environment.
www.billikid.com
CERN
Cern began writing graffiti in the early nineties. Diverse in his scope, he has created numerous collaborative murals with the YMI crew and artists around the world and exhibited canvas and watercolor works in galleries around New York City and beyond. Cern has been included in books such as Burning New York and Graffiti World.
www.ymicrew.com
Cope2
Cope2 was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York in 1968. He is a self-taught artist who is a celebrated figure for over 30 years in the graffiti art culture. One of New York City’s most prolific graffiti artists, he began tagging his name in 1978. He developed his style in the subways and streets of the Bronx throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s achieving international recognition for his distinctive style.
In recent years Cope2 has been commissioned by Time Magazine and designed a set of sneakers for Converse and a full collection for Adidas. He has worked with Steiner Sports collaborating with New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter producing graffiti memorabilia. His work has even crossed into the virtual realm with appearances in video games such as Mark Eckos: Getting Up and Rockstar Games: Grand Theft Auto IV.
Cope2’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and auctions throughout the United States and abroad, including the Guernsey and the Philip De Prury & Company auctions, the McCaig Welles Gallery, The Showroom Gallery and the Bronx Museum of Arts in New York City.
Today you can catch Cope2 in the studio painting, bringing his raw energy into abstract masterpieces, intertwined with his trademark bubble letters and tags on canvases. He has also delved into curating successful group exhibitions. Cope2 crosses between art world, mainstream and street culture alike.
www.cope2.net
Joe Iurato
Joe Iurato signs his work :01. He doesn’t do it to conceal his identity, though. It’s his belief that a single second is the most powerful measurement of time — it only takes a second to decide you’re going to move forward in a positive direction, regardless of the obstacles and challenges you’ll face in life. From that decisive moment on, you should never look back. His stencil art is a direct reflection of his daily interactions, inspirations and emotions. While the subjects of his paintings are often as random as each fleeting moment, a theme you’ll find reoccurring are powerful portraits of the young and old. For Joe, the stories and recollections of the elderly pave way to wisdom, and the curious gaze of a child reminds how precious and honest innocence is. Kind, gentle, often contemplative and full of soul, these portraits remain a large part of Joe’s expanding body of work.
www.joeiurato.com
SHIRO
From Shizuoka, Japan is a female graffiti artist who began painting in 1998. Her colorful artwork is a reflection of her love for hip-hop but also has astrong female theme. Shiro’s original b-girl characters show the essence of womanhood coupled with the raw strength and energy of the hip-hop culture. She is known for her live painting performances and graffiti projects throughout Japan and New York. From 2003 to 2005 she lived in Brooklyn and Queens where she further developed her artistic vision and graffiti talent. She has shown her work in galleries throughout Japan, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and New York. Her work is featured in Burning New York (Gingko Press 2006). Shiro also works professionally as a nurse. Her experiences in the medical field have changed her prospective on life, inspiring her to express her vision and message through her artwork.
www.bj46.com
