"Some people simply don’t stand a chance of conforming to the constraints or acceptable predictability of society. Their passion, perspective and unwavering dedication to being true to themselves overrides everything else. These wild dreamers embrace all of their peculiarities and turn them into super powers. In this process the environment around them benefits greatly from this creative singularity as these weirdos inspire us to dream more, learn more and become more. This exhibit is collectively showcasing the talents from some of my favorite weirdos that I am honored to call my friends." —STEEL MSK, Curator
Artist Include:
THE GRIME
“The great end of art is to strike the imagination with the power of a soul that refuses to admit defeat even in the midst of a collapsing world.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche
GKAE
Graffiti Godzilla.
STEEL
A cheeseburger renaissance man raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is inspired by Richard Pryor, vintage advertising, Three 6 Mafia & his friends. Working in a variety of mediums, Steel's work is an ongoing exploration of the American fast food dream gone wrong.
VIZIE
Originally from Houston, Texas, VIZIE began pursuing art at an early age, quickly becoming focused primarily on graffiti. Along with his brother NEKST, VIZIE helped the Houston graffiti scene to come to prominence during the late 90’s and 2000's. Beyond Texas, his inspired and innovative work in both the arts and graffiti has taken him to many U.S. and international cities. He made his mark with long stops in cities like Kansas City, San Francisco, Oakland, and Chicago, eventually landing in New York where he has lived and worked for the past 14 years.
In addition to his graffiti career, VIZIE explored a fine art practice. Through printmaking, photography, illustration and painting, he honed his skills in both the conceptual and the practical application of his work. His vision has found its expression in a wide range of projects from zines, to large-scale mural projects, as well as commercial work.
HAEL
Over the last 30 years Hael has traveled the world taking photos and writing graffiti. He is one of the most prolific graffiti writers in North America.
HENRY LEWIS
In constant determination to perfect his craft, tattooer and painter Henry Lewis lives to work and works to live. His mix-matched taste of art, culture and music, the latter influenced by his late father, jazz musician Juno Lewis, mirrors his experience as a bicultural kid, the fourth of fourteen children growing up in the melting pot of Los Angeles. Born in Pasadena, California in 1977, Henry Lewis moved to San Francisco in 2000 to pursue a career in tattooing, illustration, and painting. He draws on a broad range of influences, which includes fellow tattooers and contemporaries, such as Don Hardy, Mike Davis and Jason Schroeder to the art historical works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Peter Paul Reubens, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Henry’s creative lust is drawn from his personal experiences as well as those of his peers and strangers alike; he is inspired by themes of strength, passion, love and loss. Lewis’s paintings are breathing collections of life experiences, culture clashes and raw emotion elegantly draped in Baroque silk shadows.
DYLAN MADDUX
Dylan Maddux is an internationally published photographer. Born in Los Angeles, Dylan dove into the world of photography in 1999 in San Francisco where he would spend the next 12 years refining his signature style of crisp and raw imagery. This style would go on to define how he captures the world around him in an honest, compelling light.
His next chapter brought him to Bangkok and Phnom Penh, Cambodia where he would spend the next 4 years immersing himself in the unique and vibrant cultures of Southeast Asia.
DRAKE JOHNSON
I’m just here to stamp moments in time that make me feel something, and share the way I see this world with my loved ones. Hopefully you’ll like what I see too. Love you all you lil weirdos.
ANDO
Ando is a San Francisco based photographer capturing skateboarding and the in between moments. He started capturing photos of people at a young age with disposable cameras while with his family. He is heavily influenced by his surroundings and the people close to him. Ando works for SF skate brand FTC and also captures SF society for a photo agency. His work spans about 25 years and he believes time makes photos better. His latest book explores what life is like for refugees based in a small town in Kenya, and has released 3 books in the last 10 years.
