Kaviya, who goes by the Instagram handle wallflowergirlsays, is a 28-year-old artist from India taking inspiration from unconventional themes in her everyday life.
Proudly reppin’ Mumbai, Kaviya’s artwork looks like that of an artistic professional, but her work started off as doodles during a corporate job she held.
She uses her own spin on the #100DaysOf hashtag being used all over Instagram to promote self-development and improvement challenges.
Through her own variation of the hashtag, #100DaysofDirtyLaundry, Kaviya draws comparison from her photos of everyday life to the lives of all of us; the good, the bad, and the so-very-ugly.
“The thing is life in itself is meaningless. It is us humans who invent meaning and then wage wars over our invented stories. The things we believe in – religion, materialism, capitalism, relationships, pop culture, nationalism, work ethics, ideologies, EVERYTHING is just colourfully imagined ‘stories’ we humans tell ourselves to make some sense of this grand confusion.
Katiya’s most notable pictures examine themes of existentialism. Through her pictures and meticulous captions, she questions the beliefs we’ve been taught, the way we live, the society we live in, the activism we stand for, the uncertainties we deal with in our everyday lives, and most of all, our mental instabilities.
“Stories – because they exist only in our collective minds; ask your dog what he thinks about having an existential crisis, he most likely doesn’t give a flying fuck. (Sapiens)”
Her inspiration is drawn from human flaws that we all experience. Kaviya scrutinizes her inner and outer self, a common practice we can all relate to.
She places a heavy focus on millennial relationships, technology, and social pressures. Her creativity comes from using her own experiences as a form of self-expression and championing.
“I have been questioned by my close ones as to what purpose sharing my dirty laundry to the world served. But I was, and I am still, convinced how art can be a powerful medium for opening uncomfortable but necessary conversations. Most issues we are grappling with as a generation—like loneliness, anxiety, depression—are because we are always told not to openly talk about such taboos. Why? Because then people would judge us. But I think the more unbiased conversations we have about such topics, the more normalised they become.”
“I have many times, during the project, deliberated on openly speaking about certain intense, difficult topics like sexuality, relationships, and fears because they felt fiercely personal to be shared online.”
Some of her work has darker themes, such as her last post titled Valar Morghulis (for all my GoT heads), where she scrutinizes the subject of death, as well as the 4 narratives she believes summarize the process of life.
We’re excited to see what she’ll be putting out at the end of her #100Days challenges, but we’re sure that Kaviya will continue to give us content that’s insightful as it is raw.
Milton Glaser, Willie Cole, and Cope2 all have one thing in common; they grew up in the Bronx.
For decades the Bronx has cultivated revolutionary artists that redefine what we call the “norm.” Continuing that tradition is another Bronx prodigy, a young man who goes by the name Na’gee Ray.
With all the success coming from the Bronx, Na’gee still had to start from the bottom when it came to this art game. He told us about his upbringing,
“Growing up in the Bronx helped me create something out of nothing. I did not learn art in the traditional way. Without any guidance I had to come up with my own style and master skills that I had no concept of.”
A multi-talented individual, Na’gee knew it was up to him to make his dream of sharing his perspective of the world with the masses a reality, however, the road to success was not easy.
Support for his art during his early years was non-existent as his family even encouraged him to take up another hobby. With all the doubters and naysayers, Na’gee was still determined to follow his dream. In his own words,
“Ignorance helped me develop my art because I became my own artist without much influence from the outside world. I didn’t have much to work with when it came to supplies, so I learned to make art with what I had. The way I use color pencils is a prime example of using what I had. Not many artists use color pencils as their medium, but that was the only thing that I could afford. Making due with what I had made a huge impact on my art until this day.”
His perseverance got the attention of his high school art teacher Miranda Small, who can only be described as an Art Encyclopedia.
She taught him everything there is to know when it came to art. For us non-art folk that means complicated ideas like color theory, texture, and spacing.
After several years establishing himself as an artist, Na’gee knew it was time to transform his artistry into a unique portrayal of himself in the art world, but in order to do this he gathered inspiration from an unlikely source.
“Growing up I always had a deep fascination with cartoons. I always believed that they lived just like us, but in another reality. That fascination turned into art, and was very influential to my art at the time.”
Na’gee focused on creating beauty out of obscurity by infusing his childhood memories and his newfound skills together. The result was an original style of art that showed love to the shows that raised ’90s kids called “Coolism.”
Na’gee began to pull influences from other visual outlets like film. His love for cinematography made him ponder for hours on how to make his art look like organic symmetry.
Cinematography that focuses on making objects easily dissectible and visually parallel led Na’gee to film director Wes Anderson. You can see Wes Anderson’s influence in Na’gee’s limited use of space and exploration of organic symmetry in his artwork.
Na’gee’s motivation to be the best that’s ever picked up a pencil doesn’t come from the same place as Kobe Bryant’s competitive pursuit of greatness. Instead it comes from an unlikely place,
“Love. I love to love. I use that energy in my art. My art reflects how I feel. I articulate my words through the visual representations that I draw.”
So what’s next for the rising star? More work. In the short term, Na’gee promises new work and another gallery show in the fall. Na’gee’s longer term goal is to travel the world sketching animals in their natural habitats.
All inspiration for the idea goes to his childhood hero, Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter. Like Steve Irwin, Na’gee wants to continue inspiring the youth by finding his own truth in the art game. Na’gee did have a few parting words for any inspiring Artist out there,
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for a Spider is chaos for the Fly.”
What inspires you to create? Is it the environment that surrounds you?
Perhaps it’s the passionate drive in your heart to succeed. There can be a plethora of drivers for creators to do what they do best, create.
For Bushwick based visual artist Evan Lorberbaum (better known as ELO in the streets) his expressionistic graffiti-like style sources inspiration from the controlled chaos that we call life.
Kulture Hub caught up with ELO to find out what has propelled him to success.
At the age of 26 (Happy Birthday ELO), he has already managed to design his own sneaker, has been featured in a two-month solo exhibition at the prestigious Citigroup Center, sold pieces to celebrities including the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and had his own News 12 Brooklyn feature.
His top five influences consist of some of the most legendary artists across different mediums, including Jay Z, Pharrell, KAWS, Marc Ecko, and Takahashi Murakami.
These influencers serve a certain purpose in the art ELO creates as they are all multi-faceted in the genres they work and create in.
ELO uses these inspirations as a blueprint. They all model a blend of art, music, fashion, media, and pop culture, he told us:
“All of these figures are influential in my life because they are multi-faceted in the genres they work and create in. I am personally interested in the blending of art, music, fashion, media and pop culture and I use these inspirations as a blue print that exemplifies how to expand my personal brand into different avenues that may attract a larger audience.”
ELO pressed on about his influences:
As visual artists go, KAWS and Murakami are of particular interest because they have utilized their own aesthetic, brand, and business acumen to cross over to genres including music, fashion, and merchandizing. I use their story lines and experience with brands such as (KAWS) Nike, Jordan, COMME Des Garcons, Hennessy, (Murakami) Louis Vuitton, Vans, Macy’s and Supreme among others to study how art, fashion, and product merchandizing can all come together.
His art symbolizes a light-hearted and positive energy using vivid and colorful palettes highlighting varying shades of gradation and hard edges that contrast between light and dark.
ELO said the drippy texture seen in his pieces are “cognizant of time and symbolically draw attention to the fact that our time is not guaranteed, therefore we need to make the most of it.”
The vibes surrounding him play a huge factor into the strokes he paints with his brush or the sprays he makes out of a paint can. Beyond the environment, music plays a big role impacting his mood and flow of paint that he applies.
“The vibe of the studio or environment I am painting in also impacts my use of color, stroke, expression and overall feel of the painting that I am creating. I am listening to various genres of Hip Hop, Jazz, and Reggae which impact my mood and flow of paint that I am applying, especially during pieces that I am purely creating as a “freestyle” within that moment in time. In this sense, I am picking up the closest colors of acrylic, oil and spray paint in proximity and applying them to canvas or mixed media through brushes, palette knives, tape and other methods as they come into sight.”
Picasso Baby!
ELO described his hustle as “Always Hungry!” Although he was born in Manhattan, ELO moved to Armonk (somewhere deep in Westchester County for those who are unfamiliar) at the age of 2.
In high school, he was very involved in athletics, which probably explains his competitive drive. Towards the end of his high school career, ELO immersed himself in hip-hop, fashion, and street culture and had to take himself back to the city that never sleeps.
“I was born in Manhattan but really grew up in Westchester as I moved from the city when I was 2 years old. I enjoyed the suburban lifestyle growing up I was more of an athlete than anything, but towards the end of high school, I really became more immersed in hip-hop, fashion and street culture which propelled me to want to come back to the city to pursue my vision, goals, and interests.”
ELO’s goals have inspired him to create a custom design sneaker that pays tribute to NYC. The idea for the sneaker came about while he was attending Tulane University in New Orleans where he would experiment with “various mediums for creation, which included graphic tees and the early beginnings of putting spray paint to canvas.”
As he was very interested in sneaker design, ELO became infatuated with Nike ID, making sneakers for himself and his friends. Creatively restricted by the website’s design options, he took matters into his own hands. It was this limitation that sparked the drive to create something unique and original.
ELO spoke about his sneaker designs:
“I was also especially interested in sneaker design and was always designing new color silhouettes for myself and friends through NIKE ID. From a design standpoint, I felt limited by the options that were available as I could only play around with different color patterns for the shoes I was making, but I wanted to create something that was truly original and with its own unique concept.
It’s those limitations that allow human beings to surpass themselves and develop further. ELO dipped out of the “Big Easy” back to NYC and paired up with Rich Franklin of Relevant Customs to create a sneaker with a unique canvas. Covered with items that breathe NYC, the custom design Nike SB Dunk is embossed with a metro card, an entire subway map, New York Times, lotto tickets, a pizza box, and crime scene tape.
A post shared by What The NYC (blue check) (@whatthenyc) on
It doesn’t stop there. The sneaker has turned into a movement called What the NYC. The inspiration for the movement came from ELO just going out in the NYC streets during his lunch break while working at the Sotheby’s auction house asking people how they felt about the sneaker and what NYC meant to them. But it was a little old lady in black sunglasses that really got the gears turning for the social experiment.
According to the artist:
“I was still working at Sotheby’s auction house in the Upper East Side at the time and decided to take the shoes out during my lunch break to hear from people first hand how they felt about them, but more importantly how they felt about New York City itself. I spotted an older woman with big black sunglasses on who for some reason I felt had a distinctive look about her. I initially asked her what she thought about the sneakers, but as she was holding the sneakers I also asked her what her three favorite things about the city were just because I was curious and felt like making small talk.”
Elo continued:
“She answered, ‘It’s art, theater, and food.’ That is where my light bulb went off in that I became fascinated with learning how other strangers felt about the city and how they perspectives and experiences might overlap or be completely different. The rest is history…”
A post shared by What The NYC (blue check) (@whatthenyc) on
The What the NYC Campaign has furthered ELO’s work ethic into a realm of nonstop hustle. He always carries a pair with him just in case he runs into someone with an inspirational NYC story.
“Whether it is a sporting event, album release party, art show, or fashion showcase; I am always pushing the envelope by talking to as many people about their New York experience as possible. These sneakers are LITERALLY with me 24/7 because I never know who I’m going to run into and I always need to be ready. Through this project, I have been able to further my own work ethic because I am always willing to put myself in situations where I am with the right people who will further this project and keep it interesting for the community that has been built around it. I enjoy speaking with everyday New Yorkers but it’s also fun to see how the athletes, musicians, artists, and celebrities who I interact with feel about the work as well. From a social media aspect, people have enjoyed meeting me, holding the sneakers, and expressing their opinions about their NYC experience and then see Spike Lee, CC Sabathia, DJ Clark Kent, Just Blaze, ‘Biggs’ Burke, Stretch & Bobbito, for example, do the same.”
So what’s next for ELO? A whole lot. Motivation runs through his veins like blood as he is always experimenting with various styles and techniques looking for new opportunities to develop his brand, network, and practice.
He’s looking to further evolve his craft by partnering with other brands and artists. He currently has an installment which is the first part of an art series called “STILL LIFE” he curated with his partner Dmitry Larionov. The series looks to discuss the current status of the art world with successful artists, curators, journalists, and managers. Check out what ELO had to say about the first discussion:
In our first discussion, we covered topics like how branding and social media influence the value of an artist’s artwork, the process, and importance of artists being able to collaborate with major brands and corporations among other topics. This was our first live in person event, but I plan to develop this series into an accompanying podcast that will highlight how artists and creatives alike are utilizing their social media and brand influence to become successful in the worlds of art, music, fashion, and media.”
ELO has his eyes set on the goal to get the What the NYC movement where it needs to be – getting a Nike endorsement.
As of right now, the current sneaker that we all see on display is not for sale but receiving an endorsement from Nike would allow for mass production.
“My vision and the ultimate goal of the project is that the concept behind the project will eventually be picked up by Nike so that it will become a mass produced design that everyone who has seen or heard about the project can wear and feel a part of the experience … I’ve already been at this project for over a year and I have adopted the mentality that it is only a matter of time before it will be picked up by Nike. It’s not a matter of if, but when.”
Things are looking up for the Bushwick visionary. He advises the youth and starving artists to “stay hungry.” The advances ELO has made in his career have not come easy and has made a name for himself by taking a huge leap of faith.
This includes ELO being invited to Roc Nation’s Gold Couch room to chill with Lenny S.
ELO’s official message for the youth dem is to go as hard as possible:
“My advice for the young “starving” artists out there is to ‘stay hungry.’ Hungry, drive, passion, focus, ambition and patience have been necessary traits I have had to develop to make it to this point in my life and career. I took a HUGE leap of faith initially creating What the NYC and it was truly one of the best decision I have made in my adult life. I had no idea how it would be perceived but I had to trust my instincts because I knew inside that it would make a splash. Without What the NYC, I would have no reason to be invited to Lenny S of Roc Nation’s famous ‘Gold Couch Room’ (@kodaklensoffice) for an incredibly important day in my life journey and iconic photo shoot. To everyone out there looking for ways push boundaries and make a name for yourself… make your own version of what “What the NYC” might be for you… and don’t look back!”
Artist Clockwork Cros has a lot of time on his hands. Literally. Straight out of the LES, Crosby creates iconic timepieces with the faces of controversial actors, artists, and athletes.
His art is an expression of himself to the world and Crosby draws inspiration from what he considers classic New York street smarts and artists who have reached a level of public notoriety like Warhol, Haring, Basquiat, and Salvador Dali.
Crosby’s collection of clocks plays off of art history, mixing surrealism and pop culture to manufacture unique timepieces. So, what makes Clockwork Cros tick? Kulture Hub caught up with the post-post-modern clockmaker to find out.
Crosby matured alongside his NYC neighborhood in the LES. His childhood witnessed the end of a drug kingdom and the beginning of a gentrified society. His parents are artists and were very active in their neighborhood, fighting for the homeless in Tompkins Square Park (aka Tent City).
Clockwork’s activist parents and transitional LES habitat is what inspired the clock king to sell art.
Artist Clockwork Cros told us about that inspiration,
“The LES is a big part of my identity and I’ve been told I have the bohemian torch to bear. So, I take it as a responsibility to represent that to the best of my ability. I mean, I still love how it influenced me, even if my hood doesn’t mean the same thing anymore.”
It wasn’t an easy come up for Crosby and as for any young starving artist, sometimes proved difficult. Can you imagine not knowing when the next payday will come or where you’re going to crash for the night? Clockwork Crosby can.
Through the strenuous periods, Crosby always stayed optimistic and focused on his work. He compared his work ethic to baseball where, “you never know when that home run will come, but it won’t happen if you’re not swinging. I’m just out here swinging away and it’s hitting so it’s just a matter of time until I get that home run.”
You can see the survivalist passion in his work as creating art is not some “regular job.”
Cros’ wall clock collections are unmatched. He puts a little touch of his personality into the pieces he creates. He places double cut images of celeb faces and digital working clock movements on the eye of each unforgettable face in history.
The icons he selects for his clocks are to serve as an inspiration for the people who purchase them.
“My clocks aren’t supposed to mean the same thing to me as they do for the person who owns it. Everyone has a different inspiration and I always tell people, ‘You are not gonna buy a clock that inspires me. You want one who inspires you on your wall in your home.'”
Crosby added,
“So, people aren’t buying a clock because I’m poppin’, they are buying a clock because who ever they buy represents something they want to look at and inspire to be. I’m in over 3000 homes at this point and I wouldn’t be if I made people buy who I wanted them to. The clocks are for my people to grow and become better, in whatever sense they want. I think that’s the beauty of it.”
Beautiful indeed.
Crosby had a message for the youth dem – don’t be afraid to create something positive.
Crosby’s gorgeous collections of clocks also include collaborations with LES staple Mikey Likes It Ice Cream and Lola Jiblazee.
Mikey is the homie. The two have been down for more than a decade. Crosby and his crony used to plot and scheme into the late of the night thinking of ways to create art that would make waves in the industry. The artistic pair has done a clock of the month for three years straight.
The Mikey Likes It Ice Cream clock collaboration looks like something out of Salvador Dali’s famous painting The Persistence of Memory with a touch of melting ice cream.
Clocks bear melting facial images of important people from pop culture like Mr.T, Jimi Hendrix, and Frida Kahlo.
Cros’ Paragon collaboration with Jiblazee is colorfully different. Each icon used for a clock face is splashed with a matchless color wave. A purple Stevie Wonder and a yellow Basquiat with polka-dotted hair give off that abstract vibe.
Jiblazee is like a sister to Crosby. Their collaboration was one of the first experiences he had working with another artist who had their own interpretation of the faces for the clocks.
Cros told us about working with Jiblazee on their collection saying,
“The Paragon collection is a collaboration between me and Lola Jiblazee from the Republic of Georgia. It’s one of my first series working with another artist. We did an interoperation of faces for the clocks.”
They took their work beyond the LES down to Art Basel in Miami,
“We have shown together in a couple of group shows and she is like my sister. So, we did this series for Art Basel last year. We sold the whole collection to a gallery in Miami which was dope!”
Besides clocks, Crosby’s artistic talents have made it to the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park for The Connective Project, which celebrates Prospect Park’s 150th Anniversary.
The Yellow Warblers piece Cros submitted displays four Yellow Warbler birds on a black and yellow pinwheel design.
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The Yellow Warbler is one of many species known to chill in the park.
Any Prospect Park goer will know the Warbler for its fire chirping bars. Crosby looked to late poet Maya Angelou for his artist statement for the piece, “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
What’s next for artist Clockwork Cros? The Clock King told us “More shows, more art, more everything. And some music, but that time will come.”
But what is his inspiration to keep going? The LES is artist Clockwork Cros’ secret ingredient to his motivation. As a leader in a new renaissance of the classic NYC neighborhood, he’s gonna keep pushing the envelope and putting it on for the lower.
Art is second nature for Alec Monopoly. As he was learning to write he was learning to draw. He grew up in NYC and is the son of a financier and an oil painter. His mother was the artist, who serves as one of his greatest inspirations.
Monopoly is a true artist, constantly creating new pieces, as long as he is not eating or sleeping. Alec showcased his talents at a very young age, selling his first painting at 12 years old for $500.
His passion turned into a career when his street art and graffiti in the Meat Packing District caught the eye of NYC real estate developer Todd Cohen. When Cohen offered to buy 10 of his pieces, Monopoly’s success began.
Alec took inspiration from Bernie Madoff, the financial crisis, and the Monopoly board game, creating pieces exhibiting his depiction of capitalistic greed.
It’s amazing how he put all of his inspirations together to create art that would convey the corrupt American banking industry. Check out what he said in a Forbes interview back in 2015,
“I was playing Monopoly and watching the news, and I saw Bernie Madoff being arrested. And it hit me, it was like a light bulb and, that night, I started a canvas of a Monopoly guy that I never finished. It’s a Monopoly guy half-painted, and I went out on the street and just started tagging the Monopoly guy. The response was so quick. It was picked up on the Internet and in magazines, so I just went crazy with it.”
Alec made the world his canvas, tagging his images of the Rich Uncle Penny Bags all over the globe from NYC…
It was Alec’s big move from NY to Cali that established him as a unique artist, bringing his Wall St. influenced art to places like Melrose and Sunset Blvd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/tt0iGqkMPS/
Monopoly’s art is a hit with the rich and famous. He has won the attention of actors and artists alike. Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogan, Benecio Del Toro, and Robert Dinero have all bought pieces from him. Back in 2013, he also collaborated with Justin Beiber where he created a mural live on the red carpet for Beiber’s hit film, Justin Beiber’s Believe.
Alec Monopoly’s creativity doesn’t stop there! The street’s prophet also sprays images of other wealthy pop-culture figures from childhood to join the Monopoly Man…
Monopoly draws inspiration from pop culture as well. Peep his interpretations of celebrity icons such as Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Jack Nicholson, Goldie Hawn and Muhammed Ali.
It’s interesting to see how his brand extends way beyond just his huge murals and tagged up pieces. Monopoly has teamed with hotels, jewelry companies, and clothing brands showcasing his talents.
Here he collaborated with W Maldives Retreat and Spa.
He has managed to do all of this while concealing his identity, either with a hand over his mouth, a dust mask, or a bandana. Even while I was watching him in an interview with his mask off he never revealed his true identity.
The craziest part is that Alec isn’t even his real name.
After several years establishing himself as an artist, Na’gee knew it was time to transform his artistry into a unique portrayal of himself in the art world, but in order to do this he gathered inspiration from an unlikely source.
