RAWTHENTIC
AT BROOKLYN ART HAUS
BROOKLYN ART HAUS PRESENTS:
RAWTHENTIC
Featuring: Al Diaz, Zimad, Nite Owl, de la Haba, Kit 17, Easy and Robots Will Kill
September 9th - 16th, 2022
Curated by Silvertuna Studios and Collect With Lulu
Brooklyn Art Haus – 26 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Opening Reception: Friday September 9th from 6-9pm
Gallery Hours: Saturday September 10th – 16th from 1-5pm
Private Viewings By Appointment via lulu@collectwithlulu.com
RSVP Requested: EVENTBRITE RSVP LINK
Brooklyn Art Haus presents their inaugural event and art exhibition, RAWTHENTIC, featuring the work of seven legendary artists whose exemplary skills in graffiti, street and contemporary art are showcased together for the first time in Brooklyn’s new home for innovative arts. Center stage at RAWTHENTIC will be The Carmel de la Haba, an American-made, Vanderhall Carmel GTS. The artists are joining forces to custom design and paint for Vanderhall Motors. The exhibition will also feature an array of video presentations of all the artists at work filmed by Silvertuna Studios over the course of many years that will complement the paintings on display while highlighting each individual artist’s unique skillset.
Brooklyn Art Haus, aka BAH!, is delighted to open their doors to art collectors and enthusiasts alike for the first time in their raw space before fully premiering in New Year's 2023 at 26 Marcy Avenue in the heart of Williamsburg. With a fervor for art and culture, BAH! sets the stage to become a ‘powerhaus’ in the community for the arts—and the people who love art—to thrive. Brooklyn Art Haus aims to connect community through art and we welcome you to visit RAWTHENTIC.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
AL DIAZ - Al Díaz’s career spans five decades. At 15 he was the recognized subway graffiti artist known as “BOMB-ONE.” His friendship and collaboration with schoolmate Jean-Michel Basquiat on SAMO©... (an Avant-garde graffiti project), and the iconic hip-hop record, “Beat Bop” are noted in contemporary art history. A sought-after expert of New York City counterculture art, he appears in publications, films and speaks at universities and museums. His mixed media work is shown and collected internationally. In 2018, Díaz authored SAMO©...SINCE 1978, an illustrated history of his street art legacy.
CHRIS RWK - Born, raised and ruined in New York. Comics and cartoons sparked my interest. Graffiti opened up my view of other types of artwork. Fine art kept me interested. Create a visual language of imagery that has become recognizable to the viewer. Throw in music, family and friends... Oh and some more cartoons and you have ChrisRWK.
EASY - Easy was born in Brooklyn and raised in Harlem. He is a renowned graffiti artist that began engaging in chalkboard battles with Keith Haring in the MTA subway stations to see who could cover all of the MTA chalkboards first with their legendary tags and iconography. EASY, Josh 5, and Joz began painting hundreds of trains on the subway lines and then moved to the streets. They created a historic street movement that influenced decades of artists to come, Easy’s tag became the blueprint for what was considered an iconic hand style.
GREGORY DE LA HABA - Gregory de la Haba is a noted American interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Queens whose conceptual practice resists categorization. De la Haba’s work explores themes of addiction, contemporary notions of masculinity, and Duende, a heightened state of emotion, expression, and authenticity derived from pure artistic expression. It is from this place that the artist unlocks his true self—both in art and in life.
KIT 17 - Bronx native, KIT 17 started on New York City subway trains in 1974. The Mission Graffiti crew aka MG Boys he painted with were instrumental during the mid to late 1970’s and pushing forward the new subway train era in New York City Graffiti History. Known as a Colourist Kit 17 produced a significant amount of work painting on 100’s of New York City subway trains. His graffiti has been featured in the documentary films including: Watching My Name Go By (BBC, 1976), 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s (1979) and Stations Of The Elevated (1981), as well in the books: New York Subway (Todd Lang, 2009), Graffiti The History of American Graffiti (Caleb Neelon & Roger Gastman, 2011), Fuzz One: A Bronx Childhood, 2005 (Vincent Ferdorchak), Don 1 The King From Queens ( Louie Gasparro, 2014) Graffiti New York (Eric Felisbret, 2010), Classic Hits ( Alan Fleisher, Paul Iovino, 2012), and Spray Nation (Martha Cooper, 2022).
NITE OWL - Nite Owl is an Oakland, California based artist whose expressive Owls explore colors and geometries and enter into the realm of “flatness.” A prolific artist whose signature owls jump off the canvas and engage the viewer. Be it stickers in the streets, colorful canvases in galleries or large murals painted on city walls the owl’s works transfer the artist's energy and intensity to the canvas.
ZIMAD - Luis Zimad Lamboy was born in the South Bronx in 1965. In the late 1970’s he began his career as a graffiti and street artist, which has heavily influenced his style and global brand. His first show was in 1984 at Fashion Moda, a gallery best known for first showcasing graffiti art in NYC. Since then, he has shown and sold his work globally including exhibitions in the United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Amsterdam, Philippines, Vietnam, Ecuador, Panama and Netherlands. His clients include many major brands such as Nike, MTV, Modelo, Corona, Red Bull, Lions Gate Films, Jacob & Co. and State Farm as well as many private clients and celebrities.
ABOUT THE CURATORS:
Collect With Lulu - Laura “Lulu” Reich is a curator, art dealer, collector, and former gallery owner with a focus on the personal aspect of art and collecting. She has over 15 years of experience supporting creatives within the luxury market. Her inspiration is sharing artist's stories and creating meaningful connections with art lovers. She believes in the value of encouraging genuine conversations about art and life. Lulu has spent her career within fashion, fine art galleries, auction houses, and their corporate offices in New York, Chicago, and Connecticut. Recently Lulu founded her own independent art dealing and curation company Collect With Lulu, LLC representing US and international contemporary, graffiti, and street artists.
Silver Tuna Studios - Silvertuna Studios is the brainchild and production arm of filmmaker and graffiti artist, Koz. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Koz was constantly surrounded by art via his artist-parents who fully supported his artistic endeavors from the get-go. Koz would meet his filmmaking mentor and now Co-Owner of Silvertuna Studios, Jeff Fisher, a Twelve-time Emmy Award winner at Vidiots Inc in NYC. Later, Koz would work for CBS and then NBC as a set photographer and camera operator. Koz left to start SIlvertuna, his Queens based production company, he premiered two episodes of a six-part series about graffiti artists in NYC called "The Blackbook Diaries" at the Angelika Theater. His goal is to have one of his films premiere worldwide.
ABOUT BROOKLYN ART HAUS:
BAH! (Brooklyn Art Haus) is a producing organization that premieres original and innovative multimedia art. Curated, developed, and commissioned work features diverse domestic and international artists for the community of Brooklyn. BAH! is a home with a fervor for arts and focus on culture. Our soon-to-be state-of-the-art theater and studios will house an exciting residency program for art, devised theater and dance, music and film. We’re excited for you to visit and we look forward to welcoming you to this exciting new space in Williamsburg!
