KEEP THE WALLS ALIVE—ART IS NOT A CRIME
For the 2026 mural season which is our 10th year of art placing in various regions, we wanted to touch up some of our existing murals in the place it all started for us—Edmonton, Canada
Some of the original murals are still running and it would be a shame to see those disappear.
We will need all the support we can get to make this a happen. We well let you know how you can help in the following weeks.
So, Edmonton—which murals would you like to see us restore back to their original glory ?
📷 @jeremy.filmsmore
Edmonton by @og_slick shot by: @blestviews
WALL CALL: RUST MAGIC 2026 MURAL SEASON - CANADA WIDE
Attn: Property Owners, Business Owners, and Community Organizations—be apart of our collection of curated mural projects by world renowned artists like: Pichiavo, Okuda, Wane COD and OG Slick.
Rust Magic Agency (formerly Rust Magic International Street Mural Festival) is looking for exterior or interior walls for the 2026 season.
We are not accepting artist applications at this time. This call is for property owners only.
We need:
· Large, blank, legal exterior or interior walls
· High-visibility locations
Season runs spring through fall 2026.
Apply via email [email protected]
Or DM for more information
Repost and share to your community
#rustmagic #rustmagic2026
So this was in 2018, Edmonton (Canada) for @rustmagic festival. We record this cuts to show our family and friends what were doing, cause we were in a different time zone.
3 fun facts:
A. first time we had to paint a wall that big. We order so much paint! The organization kindly tell us: qué pasa? 🫨
B. first day, harry decided to take a shower with the latex paint 🤦🏽♀️
C. look at the size of the f* rabbit!
In 2022, Futura unveiled his sculpture Pointman - River Warrior in Bali. Fabricated from plastics collected from local waterways, the work addresses the urgent issue of river pollution and the waste that flows into the ocean.
The impressive sculpture resides in the main courtyard of Desa Potato Head, a pioneering sustainable destination on the island. Known as a “creative village,” it is dedicated to positive impact through a circular economy, a philosophy mirrored in Futura’s work.
Together, they exemplify a vital role in contemporary art, one that champions regenerative projects and ecological art. This is deeply local, collaborative work that tackles environmental crises and community issues with tangible purpose.
This purpose defines a path forward. As we approach 2026, artists are grappling with new challenges to relevance, including the rise of artificial intelligence.
Yet this context only clarifies art’s essential role: AI can extract and remix, but it cannot clean a river. The real work, the regenerative, physical, and community-engaged work, remains fundamentally human, and there is plenty of it to be done.
@futuralaboratories@potatohead
#rustmagic
Kish Interview: Pt 3
RM: Your work feels like a digital evolution of wildstyle, like scans or data transmissions. Do you have a name for this style, and what is its visual philosophy?
Kish: I’ve never given these styles specific names. From childhood through adolescence, I lived through rapid advancements in technology, from the birth of computers and mobile phones to the rise of mobile internet, 5G, and now the age of AI. Electronic devices and the internet have fundamentally reshaped my reality. When constructing complex wildstyle lettering, I deeply desire to incorporate the alienating influence of technology in our times. This reminds me of the first time I used a scanner in my father’s office: instead of closing the lid, I kept shifting the paper as it scanned, creating a fascinating distorted displacement effect. I soon realized that such glitch effects represented a form of technological alienation in my work, while my “incorrect” use of the tool was, in turn, my own alienation of it. Misusing tools is also ubiquitous in graffiti, after all, spray paint wasn’t originally intended for art. Of course, I didn’t want to simply add a glitch effect to my wildstyle lettering. Instead, I aim to integrate these distortions organically into the very structure of the letters, making them serve the whole.
RM: How do you view the impact of AI on the future of artists? Are you more of a futurist or a traditionalist?
Kish: I remain quite optimistic about AI. In China today, AI is a topic on everyone’s lips daily. I consider AI an indispensable ally in daily life; for instance, my English isn’t very good, so I draft my responses in Chinese and rely on GPT to translate them. It far outperforms traditional translation apps. However, I rarely use it for creative work. Still, I believe no tool is inherently flawed. Just as some might argue against using an iPad for sketching, there are no bad tools, only poor ways of wielding them. Times are changing. We should have a foundation in using traditional tools to create, while staying optimistic about learning new ones, which will only improve in the future.
#rustmagic #rustmagicagency #kishmts
Kish Interview: Pt. 2
RM: How long does it typically take to complete one of your large, technical pieces?
Kish: These pieces usually aren’t driven by a good spot; they’re driven by my sketches. I draw the sketches, and when I’m eager to paint an outline, I just find a good wall. Honestly, with these types of pieces, I try not to rush. They can take up to 3–6 days to complete, but I enjoy the process and find happiness in it.
RM: Your large works often incorporate subtle character design and narrative. What stories are you telling?
Kish: Beyond expanding my letter styles, I’m interested in paying more attention to local lifestyles and people’s struggles adapting to society. I also explore how the environment influences the reshaping of individuals. This is the common theme across all my work.
RM: What are your primary influences? (e.g., music, technology)
Kish: I try to keep an open mind about everything. Music is a primary influence. I love fusion jazz artists like The Comet Is Coming, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Kamasi Washington. I’ve also been a metalhead since I first got into graffiti. Longer tracks from Dream Theater, with their abstract instrumental sections, have inspired me to create something beyond letters, to build “derivative structures” that come together into a new, cohesive whole.
Of course, many legends from the culture have inspired me big time! Askew and Berst from TMD/MSK have been major inspirations for over a decade. In fact, the whole MSK crew are my all-time biggest influences. From streets to gallery work, they’re always producing at the highest level.
Continued….
#rustmagic #rustmagicagency #kishmts
Kish Interview: Pt. 1
RM: What is your artistic origin story? (Where are you from, and when did you start painting?)
Kish: Hi, it’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Kish, and I’m from a southern Chinese city called Nanning, which is near Vietnam. I started doing graffiti in 2007.
RM: Did a local artistic style influence you early on?
Kish: In the early 2000s, my city had a lot of writers putting up work on the streets. That’s also how I learned this form of writing was called graffiti. There was a local crew named DUK, who were among the very first writers in China. Seeing their work gave me a sense of the strong energy in graffiti lettering, and that feeling became the aesthetic of my earliest work.
RM: How did you develop your unique, complex wildstyle?
Kish: I really admire writers who can rock pieces that are simple and stylish. I tried many times to emulate that style but failed. I soon realized that I’m actually someone who enjoys, and is good at making complicated things. So, being true to myself meant adding more arrows, more strokes to the letters, and more crazy connections from the first letter to the last. I found that doing this actually makes me happy.
Continued….
#rustmagic #rustmagicagency #kishmts
Over the years, we have collaborated with Dabs on many projects, but our history with him goes back to 1997 when he first arrived in Edmonton, fresh out of design school. In those early days, he put in work like no one had before, getting up all across the city. His iconic style and classic throw-ups inspired many local writers, including us. We got a lot done together, painting some of Edmonton’s most iconic spots for the first time.
In 2001, we moved to Taiwan, where our collaboration deepened as we helped build a growing graffiti scene. Dabs continued to work there for many years, producing a legendary portfolio of pieces on the street.
Fast forward to 2016. As we began brainstorming ideas for the brand, countless names were messaged back and forth via text. With Dabs’s help, we finally landed on Rust Magic. It was short, punchy, and for those who know, deeply nostalgic. The name comes from the popular Krylon spray paint line familiar to many writers. ‘Rust Magic’ appeared in a simple black font under the red and white Krylon logo, branded as a secret formula to inhibit rust. Since the festival was conceived as graffiti-centric, the name, though obscure to some, felt perfect for creating magical pieces in forgotten places.
After settling on the name, we needed a logo. Did you know Dabs designed our original logo, too? Interestingly, he fused the Krylon’s tagline “Rust Magic” with the branding of their competitor Rust-Oleum, which used its own tagline: “Stops Rust.”
Dabs has been a key figure in Rust Magic, producing all types of work from murals and branding to poster design. Here’s to many more years of working together.
He’s constantly evolving as an artist and designer. Follow him here @______dabs1
#rustmagic #dabs1yia
We wanted to look back before moving forward.
Rust Magic didn’t start with a grant. It started with a buff, the city sponsored erasure of a 25 year old graffiti masterpiece that taught us a hard lesson: to protect important things, you need to step up and take initiative.
In Edmonton, during the ‘80s, an anonymous artist known only as Lizard King turned the walls of the transit corridors into his own personal gallery. His masterpiece, an illegal wildstyle piece featuring Mickey Mouse from Fantasia, became instant urban folklore, studied and admired by many.
It stood untouched from 1987 until 2012. Then, it was gone. A misguided city initiative whitewashed it to make way for an amateur student mural. Had leadership understood its cultural value, its historical significance as one of the first and most recognized street murals of its era, it would have been protected. But the final permission came from the building owner, revealing a deeper distaste for unsanctioned art.
So, in 2016, we launched Rust Magic. Our goal was to de-stigmatize graffiti in the media and create large-scale opportunities for the community we believed in. We became advocates for the culture working with artists and building owners to change the visual landscape of the city.
It worked - But, for us, it was never ‘just’ about painting murals. It was about pushing back, and paving a way.
What do you think ? Should we paint a Lizard King tribute piece on its 40th anniversary ?
📷 Lizard King
2. Lizard King ‘Fantasia’ (1st night trackside unfinished, Edmonton 1987), 3. Lizard King ‘Howard The Duck’ Rasta Colours (trackside Edmonton, 1988)
#rustmagic #lizardking
We wanted to take the time and thank everyone who has been with us over the past 10 years. Artists, collaborators and all of our partners who have helped bring our projects to life. Anyone who has volunteered their time, donated or supported us in any small or large way, we THANK YOU !
As we get ready to close this year and open up a new one, we wanted to curate a series of posts that highlight some of our projects over the years to celebrate our past collaborations, working with some of the best artists in the world.
What began in 2016 as a protest against city mandates that stigmatized graffiti, and cost many spray painters their mural work, evolved into a collection of over 100 murals, both interior and exterior. We bootstrapped our first few festivals on tight budgets, hustling hard, but our efforts were truly elevated by the incredible work the artists brought.
At the time, our main focus was working with international graffiti artists and experimenting with scaling their work across an entire wall. The concept was blockbuster wildstyles; @og_slick , @waneonecod , @______dabs1@kwest88 , @take5lovesyou , @stare_nme , @fatimadejuan _, @amuse.126@indeliblefunk@musa71_ and many others all contributed to the vision. The strategy we had was to bust the door down with international top talent and slowly introduce local emerging artists as budgets and acceptance grew.
We were able to also work with a number of street artists to help our vision reach a larger audience. Artists like, @hardthirteen , @okudart , @pichiavo , @carlyealey , @mrcenzone@kram_bcn , @eleduworks , and @negiyakisoba came through and changed the neighbourhood in unforgettable ways. We are deeply appreciative of your work and dedication to your practice.
Incredible talks hosted by: @carlosmare@waneonecod , @mr_stash and @adamfu
We take pride in receiving an award from the Mayor’s office in Edmonton, for our work in collaboration with @pichiavo , and for trailblazing a scene for vibrant mural scene in our hometown.
Please enjoy the highlights over the next week and Stay Locked on our 2026 news, projects and artist opportunities !
Happy Holidaaazeee !!!!
RM
#rustmagic #rustmagicagency
For a world that’s rapidly changing, it’s getting harder to understand what being an artist even means. Today, technology is advancing so rapidly, it’s actually hard to imagine what being an artist will look like in 10 years.
There are a few ways we can look at this, as we find ways to adapt to the rushing currents of technology and culture.
However, there are some hard truths to overcome, but there is also a silver lining spread across this ominous cloud of uncertainty.
If you’re a business person, you probably have discovered that AI has rapidly sped up your workflow. You can now cut out the middleman on so many levels, allowing us to scale at a much faster rate and multiply complex systems in seconds. An effective creative agency that needed 20 people before can now operate with just 2-4 people.
Beyond generating images, the utility of AI for creatives is monumental, and there are ways to adapt without losing your edge or your soul. The need for traditional art crafted by real hands will never go away. In fact, we see traditional arts being valued even more in the future, but not without leveraging their business and portfolios with AI on some level.
What we hope for in the future is for artists to have the opportunity for more expansive work and to expand the idea of what being an artist really means. With this new approach, a traditional artist becomes more like an agency, focused on much more than walls, canvases and sculptures. Now, they become visionaries behind large-scale projects. Ideation will trump physical process. I mean, that has to be clear by now—wealthy artists will have robots painting their work with real paint in the near future. Studio assistants will be made antiquated by the need for speed and consistency.
There’s no right way. Ultimately you need to travel on the road that gets you to where you want to go. And if you don’t know where that is, hit us up.
Not created with AI*
#rustmagic #rustmagicagency
