urban calligraphy

At Mariners Harbor in Staten Island with Giangrande, Gano, Echo, Syne, Goal, Prez & NoneNYC

January 2, 2025

Staten Island’s Mariners Harbor is home to a huge graffiti wall that is an aesthetic and thematic delight. Featured above is the work of Staten Island-based urban artist, educator and tattoo artist Dylan Giangrande. A small selection of images from the wall’s current iteration follow:

Staten Island-native multidisciplinary artist and producer Gano, VGL

Tattoo and urban artist John Echo

Syne, GOMD and NSB

Staten Island-based veteran style master Joe Goalbino

Staten Island-based muralist and graffiti writer Cody Prez

Veteran writer NoneNYC, Ex Vandals/MTA/UTW/TSK/GOMD

Photo credits: 1-4, 6 & 7 Lois Stavsky; 5 Shalom Stavsky

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STUDENTEACHER Continues at Nemo’s Beer Shop with: Belowkey, Cern, Kemos, Part One, Mike 79, Python, Hest & More

October 2, 2024

STUDENTEACHER, the most recent exhibition curated by Chip Love and Seb Gorey and presented by Nemo’s Beer Shop in Forest Hills, Queens is a stylish and striking celebration of the lifelong, constantly evolving relationships that transpire between students and teachers. The delightfully playful image featured above was fashioned with ink on paper by the prolific Queens-based artist Belowkey. Several more images of artworks that will remain on view through STUDENTEACHER‘s closing party at the end of this month follow:

Queens-born multidisciplinary artist Cern, “Cernimals #2,” 2024, Acrylic on canvas

MAYHEM crew menber Kemos, “Untitled,” 2023, Spray paint and marker

The legendary TDS member Part One, “Mean Green,” 2024, Acrylic and paint marker

Queens-based veteran graffiti writer Mike 79, “79/131,” 2024, Marker tags on spray painted canvas

Graffiti writer and painter Python, “P Is for Pupil,” 2024, Designer markers, watercolor, ink and brush on canvas

New Jersey-based Hest aka Halfguy 2024,”Untitled,” Mixed media on wood panel

Located at 110-64 Queens Blvd in Forest Hills, Nemo’s Beer Shop is open Tuesday through Friday, 2PM – 11PM, Saturday, 2PM – 12AM and Sunday, 12PM – 6PM.

Photos of artworks: Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

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Boone Avenue Walls Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary, Part II: Minus, Lola Lovenotes, Image, Crash, Espy, MRS, Ric One & Roachi

September 19, 2024

On the occasion of Boone Avenue Walls‘ tenth anniversary, dozens of artists brought their remarkable skills and styles to the Bronx neighborhoods of West Farms and Hunts Point. This is Part II of our two-part series documenting this year’s extraordinary Boone Avenue Walls Annual Festival, founded and curated by veteran Bronx writer WEN COD. The image featured above was painted by Brooklyn writer Minus One. Several more images — all captured by street art/graffiti aficionada Kristy Calabro — follow:

Bronx-based artist and educator Lola Lovenotes

OTM Graff Crew member Image

The legendary Bronx-based artist John Matos aka Crash.

West Coast-based artist and curator Espy

Bronx-born writer and textile artist MRS

Florida-based muralist and writer Ric One

Brooklyn-based stylemaster Roachi

Photos: Kristy Calabro

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At Boone Avenue Walls, Part II: Crash, Queen Andrea, Daze, Wore, Sienide, Zore64, DoveRoc, Adam Fu, Bluster and Meres

September 21, 2023

This year Boone Avenue Walls, founded and curated by the legendary Bronx writer WEN COD, not only beautified the walls along Boone Avenue, but brought tantalizing graffiti art to the Mott Haven neighborhood in the South Bronx. Featured above is the noted Bronx-based artist Crash One to the right of the masterly Queen Andrea — as captured on a recent rainy Sunday. Several more images seen along the front and rear of Food Fest Depot follow:

The legendary NYC-based artist Chris “Daze” Ellis

Veteran graffiti artist and painter Wore One

The wonderfully ever-distinctive Sienide

Stylemasters Zore64, DoveRoc, and Adam Fu

LES-native, Uptown-based gifted artist Bluster One

The amazingly versatile Meres One of 5Pointz fame

Photos by Lois Stavsky and Sara Ching Mozeson

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At the Legendary Graffiti Hall of Fame: Skeme, Miki Mu, Vens, Delta 2, Cope 2, Jaek El Diablo, Will Power, Phen, NAC 143, Scratch & More

August 23, 2023

Under the curatorial direction of Sharif Profit, this past weekend’s Graffiti Hall of Fame — located on 106th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem — teemed with tantalizing talent. Among the featured pubic artworks in this event’s 43rd annual edition were walls and cubes fashioned in a wide range of styles by legendary writers and noted urban artists from NYC and beyond. The scintillating piece pictured above was painted by graff master Skeme, also known as 3 Yard King. Several more images of artworks captured this past Sunday afternoon follow:

BedStuy Walls founder and curator Miki Mu at work

Veteran writer and aerosol artist Renard Kelley aka Vens adding the final touches to his mural

Delta 2’s masterful mural complemented by an adorable passerby who instantly poses!

The wildly prolific Cope 2

French artist Louis Vicius aka Jaek El Diablo

Will Power‘s tribute to the late writer and DJ Dez aka Kay Slay— with Al Diaz‘s iconic tag finding its way to the bottom!

Barcelona-based artist and tattooist Phen

Bronx-native NAC 143 at work

Stockholm-born, East Harlem-based Scratch

Note: Keep posted to the Street Art NYC Instagram and Threads for more images of artworks that surfaced in this year’s Graffiti Hall of Fame .

Photographs by Lois Stavsky and Dani Reyes Mozeson

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Welling Court Mural Project 2023, Part I: Meres One, BG 183, Toofly, Imagine 876, Fumero, Kimyon Huggins and Noir

August 10, 2023

On my recent visit to this year’s Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria Queens, I discovered a wondrous array of art fashioned in a multitude of styles. The distinctly striking mural pictured above was painted last week by Meres One in his singular stained-glass style. Several more images of new artworks follow in this first of a two-part series documenting WCMP23, a community public art project organized and curated by Alison C. Wallis

Bronx-based BG 183, Tats Cru

Ecuador-born, Queens-bred multidisciplinary artist Toofly

Nepalese artist Imagine 876

Fumero in his distinct GRAFSTRACT style

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Kimyon Huggins

Veteran UK writer Noir

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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In Trenton, NJ With: Will Kasso, Luvonesta, Andre Trenier, Lank, Leon Rainbow, Ras, Saoka & Imse and Sloke One

April 2, 2021

Bold and engaging, the murals that surface in Trenton, New Jersey are largely site-specific, many paying homage to those who call Trenton and its neighboring towns home. The image featured above — painted collaboratively in 2014 by Will Kasso, Luvonesta, Andre Trenier and Lank — looms large over a colorful playground, a short distance from the Trenton Transit Center. Several more artworks, far more recent, captured earlier this week on my first visit to Trenton follow:

Trenton-based legendary artist Leon Rainbow — two of four murals paying homage to frontline workers

Close-up

Trenton artist Dean ‘Ras’ Innocenzi pays homage to the late New Jersey skateboarder Brendan Wilkie — one of several murals featured in the 2020 “Murals on Front Street” project, coordinated by Leon Rainbow

Philly-based Spanish artists Saoka and Imse for “Murals on Front Street”

Austin, Texas-based masterly graffiti writer Sloke One for “Murals on Front Street”

And Luvonesta and Lank bringing it inside to Trenton’s Starbucks, close-up from huge mural

Photos by Lois Stavsky

Special thanks to James J Kelewae for introducing me to the streets of Downtown Trenton

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Rocking It in Ridgewood: Greg Lamarche, Bisuno, Diego, Bro000ski, Strider, Gorey, Arbor, Dmote, Spar, Hence & More

September 27, 2020

Curated earlier this month by the infinitely creative Chip Love, the walls on Troutman and Seneca — on the Queens side of the Ridgewood-Bushwick border — seethe with style and swirl with rhythm. The image featured above was fashioned by the legendary Greg Lamarche. Several more recent walls designed for this project, labeled #troutmanrock, follow:

Veteran writer Bisuno

Queens-based Diego

Bro000ski does Snoopy vs the Red Baron

Veteran style writer Strider

The distinctly-talented Paris-born, NYC-based Seb Gorey

Graff masters Arbor and Dmote aka Shank

Veteran writer and graffiti historian Spar One

Hence’s homage to Ridgewood

Photo credits: 1-3; 5, 6, 8 & 9 Lois Stavsky; 4 & 7 courtesy #troutmanrock curator Chip Love

Note: Chip Love is now at work curating a series of walls in Jamaica, Queens. ‘looking forward to seeing those!

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Up In Inwood With: Panic, Ree, Clyde, Keon, Rocky 184, Sound7, Ses, Lava, Snake 188 and More

February 4, 2020

The walls up in Inwood — home to veteran NYC writers and their guests — are a treasure trove of graffiti and graffiti history. The image featured above was painted by native New Yorker Panic Rodriguez, who grew up writing graffiti in the 80’s. Several more images that Ana Candelaria and I captured this past Sunday follow:

Bronx-bred, Jersey City-based Ree Vilomar

Classic Bronx-bred writer Clyde

Veteran Uptown writers Keon and Rocky 184

Bronx-based TC5 crew member Sound7

Devils of Graffiti member Ses, who — according to my research — recently passed

Legendary Old School writers Lava, Tony 164 and Snake 188 with (what looks like) Oops1 on top

All of these walls can be found on and off 10th Avenue between 207th Street and 2016th Streets, off the 1 line.

Photo credits: 1-3 & 7 Ana Candelaria; 4-6 Lois Stavsky

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At Hackensack’s Union Street Park: Sue Works, Hef, Yes One, Abe BT, Meres One, Pase, Jew and More

January 18, 2020

Under the curatorial skills and direction of NJ-based Darrius-Jabbar Sollas aka Nasty Neo, the rotating walls in Hackensack’s Union Street Park brim with bold rhythms and swooping patterns. Featured above is the work of NYC-bred, Jersey City-based Raul Rubio aka Sue Works. Several more recently-captured images follow:

New York-based Jamie Hef