Been working on something different the past couple of months…after my last post’s reflection. I’ve been designing the infrastructure for a life that sustains me creatively, physically, and mentally. Pretentious or not…I’ve named it…‘My Life Architecture: Strategy Program’…a framework to keep me grounded in routine, aligned with purpose, and moving toward long-term goals without losing myself in the process.
It’s not just about hitting milestones. It’s about balance. A system that protects my mental health, sharpens my focus, fuels my body, and allows space for intentional work, wellness, and growth. What I’m working toward…2…5…10 years from now…requires discipline and not borderline chaos…or maybe just organised chaos….longevity over burnout and rhythm over reaction. That means carving out time for structure, creativity, recovery, and reflection.
‘A Dog in Hand…’ painted with my London famalam @dface_official during @londonmuralfest last summer feels like the right visual metaphor for all of this…a reminder that even in the noise of the city, you can build something soft, strong, and entirely yours to hold.
If you’re feeling lost right now, focus on yourself. Give yourself the time…strip it back…rebuild from the inside out. Clarity doesn’t come from running faster…trust me it could leave you with debilitating back injuries! It comes from standing still long enough to hear what actually f**king matters to you!
For those who know me…you already know I love a good deck! Sharing a few slides in my stories (and eventually highlights) that outline some of the themes without getting into the nitty gritty…that will stay close to me as it took me a hot minute to calculate…but you’ll see unfold as they take action.
📸 @louistfilm and edited by myself
As Texas enters its 3rd straight year of coordinated book-banning activities the list of books targeted for potential removal varies. Titles such as And Still I Rise: Black America Since MLK, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (Personal favourite of mine from 2020). These are books that address topics such as race, gender and queerness with differing perspectives on what they deem the status quo. Attempts at book banning often spark debates about academic freedom and diversity in education.
Banning books ANYWHERE raises concerns about censorship and limits the freedom of expression. When certain books are banned, they restrict access to diverse viewpoints, limit critical thinking, and suppress important conversations on various topics. This can be detrimental to society as it hinders the exchange of ideas and knowledge stifles creativity and impedes progression. A society that encourages open dialogue and the free flow of information is more inclusive and naturally informed…avoiding “dumbing-down”-but maybe that’s the point.
What I love about this piece is that it shows that @dface_official has become anything but stagnant and complacent in his work. Colour palette, themes and detail continue to progress…albeit at the expense of taking longer to paint…but then again nothing was gained without a lil hard work & I’m sure it is an excuse to spend more time with me!
‘Story Currently Unavailable’ highlights the issue of banning books and serves as a powerful visual reminder of the importance of preserving intellectual freedom and promoting open discourse. Highlighting the detrimental effects of censorship I hope to spark conversations about the value of diverse perspectives in literature and inspire activism in the defence of free speech. I know that reading various books on a multitude of topics has helped me through recovery, personal growth and cultural understanding. Or maybe the mural will serve as a symbolic statement against attempts to suppress certain ideas and voices. We are a society that embraces knowledge, critical thinking and diverse viewpoints. F**K CENSORSHIP
@streetartmankind 📸 @dr_derek
My favourite painting from the recent @dface_official solo show @coreyhelfordgallery ‘Painting Over The Cracks’ aptly named ‘Tragic Jam’.
My interpretation of the piece is that it depicts a strong powerful woman of colour who is essentially just fed-up with her man. I like to think she has just picked up and bailed his scrub-ass from jail for the last time. Petty theft, drunken disorderly. He is giving all sorts of excuses and further broken promises of ‘This is the last time’, ‘It wasn’t my fault’ however, she isn’t having any of it from this mush and is about to drop his deadbeat ass off on the freeway.
A gruelling week of health and safety regs and shaky leg heights it was certainly a challenging wall for many reasons but New York weather was kind to us that week. I would go through it all over again to spend the time with my UK fam who I miss dearly Papa D, Uncle Boots @rebelsalliance and my Cuzzy Max @max_oscar_b 💜
Thanks to @johnxblack for the assist on that which cannot be mentioned and @madsteez for capturing the epic mural in a city that hosts me well.
I’m of the opinion graffiti and gallery work are two different animals. Related!?! To a degree…depending on the work. Interchangeable!?! Hmmm…maybe there are some exceptions…but I’m not fully convinced. The street is about reclaiming space…it’s ephemeral! The street giveth…and the street taketh. We put our names up, hoping someone will catch it in a language only a few understand…knowing full well it might be gone tomorrow! That’s the beauty of it…and frankly, the unwritten contract we sign.
What’s always baffled me is the assumption that simply putting in time on walls, trains, billboards…whatever our chosen surface of vandalism is…somehow entitles us to hang that work in a white cube. Longevity isn’t the same as evolution…and years alone don’t automatically translate into a contemporary practice. This is about work entering the marketplace and not the preservation of graff, which has already earned its place in museums as a cultural movement.
To be honest…I don’t want (alone) to see your throw-up or full piece stretched onto a canvas. That’s like looking at a tiger in a cage…might still look impressive…but stripped of its power, its risk, and its reason for existing!
What I deeply respect about @travmsk is that he understands the distinction and doesn’t try to blur it out of convenience or ease. His graff is his graff and his studio work exists on its own terms…informed by it for sure…but not dependent on it!
Typo-Architecture is a perfect example of that maturity. Drawing from typography, signage, architecture, and the slow decay of once thriving commercial spaces in an increasingly digitally replaced world…this aint just nostalgia…it’s observation and adaptation.
There are only a handful of writers (imo) I’ve seen do this well…probably no coincidence many of them come from the same lineage…a crew where progression is valued as much as presence…the humility to build your studio practice…that’s doing the F-ing work!
TYPO-ARCHITECTURE opening @megumiogitagallery tomorrow, January 23rd…we’ll be there from 6pm!
Thank you to the Fam who have done nothing but put us on… @503.ken@yas_5th@john125_al Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu! 🇯🇵
祝福されたままでいてください 🙏🏽
Burnout isn’t always obvious…
For me, it didn’t look like stopping…it looked like constant motion. Projects rolling into one another, cities blurring together, time zones congealed. I was everywhere…but not always there! Moving constantly…physically present…mentally elsewhere…running away from what was important.
2025 felt heavy for a lot of people. Between work, travel, and the wider political and economic climate, many of us were operating in survival mode…just keeping things moving. And that’s ok…sometimes survival IS all the work you need or can do.
Looking back…especially at what some friends carried through last year…fears of deportation, loss of homes, loss of friends, loss of sanity…I was reminded how much quiet resilience exists around us. @caratoes sent this to me back in August last year as she was wrapping up…I hadn’t fully taken in its significance and meaning until now.
Pina Bausch’s work often lived in that space between inside and outside, motion and meaning. Where movement never really stops…but connection can slip away and be lost if we don’t pay attention.
This feels like a reminder that slowing down isn’t a step back…it’s how you reconnect!
Last year was about surviving…this year is about moving with more intention…creating space to thrive…even in adversity!
Not one for resolutions…just trying to “clean the window” a little more this year
Blessings 🙏🏽
@caratoes for @wuppertal_tanzt
It’s that time of year again. 7 years ago I swapped self-destruction for self-respect…and swapped hangovers for a pot of tea and overpriced nut milk!
FOREVER…I am forever an addict…my brain understands the concept of moderation, but my body doesn’t have the setting. I wasn’t built with the “take it easy” software update. My operating system goes straight from 0 to 100 with no buffering…no warning…and absolutely no interest in a safe landing!
However…I am FOREVER grateful! Grateful that seven years ago today, instead of chasing the forever that nearly killed me, I chose a different one. One that didn’t involve disappearing into myself. A forever of clarity, of uncomfortable growth…of accountability! I don’t celebrate sobriety because I beat addiction…I celebrate it because I’ve accepted that I never will! I don’t stay sober because I’m strong…I stay sober because I finally accepted the truth! And oddly…that’s where all the power lies.
Here’s to FOREVER being exactly who I am…an addict in recovery, a student of humility, a man who swapped chaos for purpose. Don’t get it twisted…the chaos is still there! I’ve just learned how to shape it…not escape in it. Once you stop negotiating your own reality, you can actually start living it…it ain’t ruined!
The duality is everyting…FOREVER at risk…FOREVER aware…FOREVER blessed…FOREVER becoming! FOREVER isn’t a curse…it’s the comeback foo! So here’s to another lap around the sun, clear-headed, clear-hearted, and FOREVER grateful that I made it this far without burning it all down again. Appreciate you all that stuck by me 🙏🏽
FOREVER @sickboykks w/ @503.ken
Lately, it feels like so many of us are carrying more than we know how to name… as if there’s a weird stillness in the air. Burnt out…checked out…just trying to keep it together. A low hum of exhaustion while waiting for a shift to happen. When the outside world stalls…I’ve learned to go inward. It ain’t glamorous…ain’t some clean, linear healing arc. It’s messy…boring…often sh*t and painful! But it’s where the real work…and real creativity…happens!
Like most of our generation…we didn’t grow up with soft love. No one taught us how to take care of ourselves emotionally. “Cause suffering is standard, you’ll have to toughen up…at least that’s what your mother tells you when she’s fully drunk” I had to learn how to give that love to myself. To be both my own protector and my own witness…to sit with the parts of me I wanted to outrun.
@swoonhq Sun/Moon Father/Mother…cosmic parents made of light and shadow…who don’t always understand the pain…but they stay anyway! They remind us of the kind of love we have to grow inside.
I’ve been lucky to have people like Callie in my life, and so many others…family you choose! Real ones who don’t need to fix you. Who don’t walk the path for you…but sit beside you while you figure it out.
If you’re feeling it right now…tired…stuck…overwhelmed…just ‘off!’ Take care of yourself…move slowly…be soft in the mess. You don’t have to do it alone, but the healing is on you…and it’s internal.
The World can wait…stay blessed and holler at your boy if you need! 🙏🏽💜
“Sun/Moon Father/Mother” a series of monotypes by Swoon… @printthemall Link in bio.
LA’s on fire…the flames are a stark reminder that the Earth is burning…physically and metaphorically. While the flames rage the impact is still unfathomable…affecting economy, ecosystems, and the lives of the people and wildlife that call LA home…a city I’m fortunate enough to call a second home! A city stretching the horizon…gives so much…creativity, opportunity, the Dodgers, a place to push limits! But it also takes…with its smog, politics, heartache. It’s a city that makes you dream big with ambition and simultaneously crushes you under the weight of its contradictions. It’s chaos…it’s beautiful…it’s AMOR!
These fires are not just about the flames…they’re fueled by neglect…a government more invested in short-term profits than long-term survival. The cuts to fire department funding, lack of resources and infrastructure…it’s like watching a city scramble to protect itself blindfolded, hands tied behind its back whilst Karen Bass stands there licking windows! Watching friends lose their homes, studios…the places where they create….is devastating. Understand that this is more than just property and material tings…it’s identity and a sense of security and solace!
Amid this devastation, the ting that is nothing but cliche but true is…love and community. Neighbours opening their doors to those displaced, people from all factions stepping up to help any way they can. This overwhelming sense of solidarity, from local efforts to international support…Mexico, Canada, South Africa, and even Iran (which political relationship is unstable)…this is what keeps the wheels greased! The artist community is playing a critical role, as always…using their creativity to raise awareness and fund relief efforts - which I’ll share via my stories.
Los Angeles may be built on contradictions, but it’s also built on resilience. It’s here…the love…the willingness to rise when everything else falls apart. The spirit of LA isn’t just palm trees, sunsets, and Hollywood…it’s in the community. We rebuild better…stronger…together! And when the ashes settle…the spirit of LA will be waiting for us…wild, untamed, full of life!
Homies across the pond take note of ways you can help…blessings!
Following on from my last post as 2025 kicks off I can’t help but think of “The Tortoise and The Hare”…basically an artist’s playbook. It ain’t about rushing…the hare sprints for the quick clout and fleeting trends…and before you know it…it’s overplayed and fizzles out. Albeit fun to watch…but in the end they’re cream-crackered before the finish line. Then there’s the tortoise…moving steady, keeping calm, head down doing tings. Ain’t flashy, ain’t screaming for attention! While everyone’s gassed over the next shiny ting, we’re out here playing chess…not checkers.
In the end, the tortoise always wins…it just does it’s ting…f**k the noise. While the pace may feel slow and steady... persistence and resilience will ultimately win the race. The race isn’t about speed…it’s about endurance, patience, and creating something with longevity…not just for a hot minute…leading to a stronger creative landscape.
I hope 2025 has a growing emphasis on meaningful connections, sustainability, and experiential art that points to a more thoughtful and impactful future. Slow, steady, and laser-focused. While others chase the spotlight, we keep creating, evolving, and building something with substance. It’s not about being the fastest…it’s about showing up, staying true, and letting the work speak for itself…keep grafting, keep stacking! Appreciate you…stay blessed! 🙏🏽
Work by New York’s 907 finest @ufo907
2024 was a rough one for the art world and beyond…a perfect storm of economic hiccups, tech chaos, and cultural growing pains. Inflation hit like a Pharrell Williams curated art auction…add in social and political divides, a dash of sustainability panic, and the relentless, unforgiving act of war, and you have a new generation who’d rather buy “vibes” than artworks of substance, revolution and emotion.
Despite all the bulls**t, artists are better off keeping the creative momentum going. Economic dips come and go, but the value of art transcends the immediate fluff and fog as creativity thrives beyond economic and political cycles. Creating and collaborating during challenging times isn’t just an act of resilience…it’s a necessity for sanity. Art isn’t just about sales…it’s about storytelling, connection, collaboration and innovation for new ways to express the world around us. The act of creating in tough times shows creativity thrives no matter the circumstances…it brings joy, positivity and a change of perspective in what some might view as bleak times…the world always needs its storytellers.
There’s a Hopi Native American proverb that states “Those who tell the stories rule the world.” …and we tell our stories to change the world.
Happy New Year!
Here are some of the last collaborations of 2024 with @printthemall@gondekdraws@deferk2s@ufo907@brettcrawfordinc
Miami Art Week is a whirlwind of art, parties, and opportunities…a concentrated mix of glamour, creativity, and chaos. For someone like me, who has witnessed its evolution, it embodies a layered hypocrisy. On one hand, I vocally have disdain for what Wynwood has become: a commercialized spectacle, far removed from the grassroots, raw energy it once had. It’s a space overtaken by the relentless churn of VIP events, schmoozing, investors, influencers, and the ever-present commodification of art.
Yet…within that chaos lies the undeniable pull of connection and nostalgia. It’s the place where you can reconnect with old homies, forge new, and share experiences that only those in the industry truly understand. It’s like the ‘official-unofficial’ industry Christmas party…a gathering where everyone shows up, no matter how hectic…to celebrate, commiserate, and indulge in collective creative shenanigans.
Temptation by @sickid1 was my highlight. Seeing Sickid’s work at the Basel Art Fair @jeffreydeitchgallery is a visceral jolt…a raw, unapologetic statement cutting through the gloss of blue-chip conformity. It’s not just a piece in the mix…it’s a reminder of what art can be when it refuses to play by the rules!
The temptation lies in this duality…hating the performative nature and the commercialization but loving the people, the energy, and the rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a week that defines the art world’s pulse. It’s messy, imperfect, and infuriating, but it’s also irresistible.
Have a deep love for you all...thank you…stay blessed...until next year. ✌🏽
Welcome to the jungle… the predator and the protector
It can be frustrating to be in a two-party race where choice often feels limited, forcing many into a “lesser of two evils” scenario. Ideally, we’d have a more diverse political landscape that allows for greater nuance and better representation. Unfortunately, the reality of this election presents a critical choice between leaders who embody vastly different visions for their own citizens. It’s not just about policy preferences…it’s about preserving the values of a modern-day society.
Trump is like a tiger, focused on asserting dominance, roaring loud, with little interest in nurturing or collective well-being. His approach fosters an “us vs. them” mentality, driving division that can lead to authoritarianism and fascism. This leadership style risks tearing at the fabric of unity…prioritising personal power over stability. Trump’s leadership means exerting control at the expense of the environment around him.
Harris, on the other hand, embodies the instincts of the tigress…she’s strong but also attentive, watching over her “cubs” and ensuring the safety of the entire community. Her leadership prioritises protecting vulnerable groups, including safeguarding women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, which are increasingly under threat in this “developed” country. While I disagree with her on specific foreign affairs…aka SATANYAHU…we at least have a better chance of upholding some democratic values and an openness to dialogue making her more receptive to input and flexible over time…something I see far harder to achieve under Trump’s authoritarian tendencies and stubbornness.
These are my opinions, and while I hold strong views, I don’t judge anyone for their political choices...although inherently binary at this point, at least it is a choice. As long as those choices don’t entice hatred or bigotry…do as you will. As an immigrant in the U.S., I don’t have a vote but I do see how these choices affect the ones I love and how they shape the communities and values we live by globally. So take a walk and tick a box today…blessings. 🫶🏼 #vote
Mural by my brother @hoxxoh for @blinkcincinnati
