WANE

Wayne is of West Indian descent and lived in England and Grenada until he was 7 years old. In 1978, Wayne’s parents brought their 2 sons to the U.S. and moved to New York City’s North Bronx. Here, the elevated tracks soon caught Wayne’s eye and he slowly became obsessed as he watched and admired the many great graffiti writers of the late 70’s and early 80’s produce masterful works of art on the subway.

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In 1983, Wayne transformed from a young admirer to an active and progressive participant as he became ‘Wane One’ when he painted his first train. This was the beginning of a lifelong love for graffiti and a deep appreciation for the culture that surrounded it. Subway cars and train walls fast became his favorite canvases. He had an unquenchable thirst for painting pieces onto these metal surfaces which traveled vast distances across the city. With a can of spray paint and a sleight of hand, Wane transformed these giant iron horses into mobile works of art appreciated by practitioners and the general public alike. Graffiti writers around the city took notice of Wane’s work and recognized his stylistic significance and contributions to the scene. Soon enough, a bond was quickly established with many serious and preeminent subway painters and style masters.

 

In 1988, Wane started experimenting and exploring other media and surfaces. He began producing paintings with acrylic on canvas, denim jackets, and jeans. After mastering these mediums, he then progressed to airbrushing onto t-shirts, which became popular in his neighborhood giving Wane his first taste of being an entrepreneur. Wane further honed and developed his artistic and creative skill sets as he became one of the first writers to make the transition into Graphic Design. Wane found much success as a graphic designer and has designed logos for legendary hip-hop groups and artists like Gangstarr, Jeru the Damager, and Group Home. Presently, Wane divides his time between painting, running his company Writers Bench, and collaborating on numerous projects with well-known brands such as Nike, Reebok, New Balance, and RYU to name a few Between spending time at his Holyoke, Massachusetts studio and while still residing in the Bronx, Wane continues to travel the world blessing numerous countries and locales with his creative gifts and magnificent public works of art.