11 posts tagged female graffiti artists

“I started painting in ‘86. 
I was a skater girl. Well, I still am, you won’t find me riding ramps and pools anymore, but you still might catch me skating Venice. 
Some of my skater friends were taggers and it caught the ‘mischevious’ and attention in me. Back then, my nickname was ‘Fire’. Even all my teachers called me that. So you could say I already had a ‘tag name’. 
My mom couldn’t quite jump on that one, but she thought it was cool though.
Then one day, I was cruising through Westwood on the bus, looking at all the college houses and then I saw an Omega sign and right then I knew that would be my name…That’s me.”

“Besides my lil’ stint of being my one girl crew I am UTI and will always and only be UTI! I am VERY old school on this. So I hope I don’t offend anybody but this is MY philo! I don’t preach it, I just live it.
I love my crew and I believe in having only one crew. I believe that scattering yourself all over the place just lowers a loyalty level. I am extremely loyal to my family and friends.”

“When the UTI’s asked me in the crew I was surprised. I appreciated that they saw my talent. (And I got in the crew on my art, NOT my ass!)
Skilly, Snap, Seltic, Master, Smurf, Ghost, Dash 2000 were some of the main guys then and of course, yes of course…. Pester.  I say that because he was the only one against me being in the crew strictly because I was a girl. 
The guys told me later, he was like ‘No girls in UTI’ and walked out. But he was outvoted and I ‘secretly’ began to rock harder to prove to that him that I was a true UTI. He made me push myself. I thank him for that and totally love him for it, but we laugh about it now.”

“Even when I was figuring out my tag style back in the day I was thinking ‘flow’ and ‘dynamics’, like the way a sick rif in a song moves you. 
I am a letter bender. I do characters too, but I see letters and they transform in my mind. Like a roller coaster, taking you all over the place, making you feel safe at times and then.. KAPOW! The big ups and downs.”

“I want to move and shock people with my art, make them think and try to figure out what the hell they are seeing.  And when they figure it out…it’s like an ‘ooooohhhh’ moment.”

“My name was EVERYWHERE in the valley. And before I knew better, I wrote over people. I didn’t tell anybody that I was Omega though. And then I’d be hanging out with my skater/tagger friends and they were going to town about this ‘Fucking Omega’ that was mobbing and tagging over them. It is so funny to me now, I had no idea it was such a huge diss! So I was like ‘Uh yeah, I heard Omega was this big super buff guy that doesn’t care who he kills or writes over!’
That was so funny. Especially when I finally told them it was me.”

Describe your most favorite bomb or piece that you’ve done. Why was it your favorite?
My all time favorite bomb was my piece with Skate CBS at the Sanborn yard because it is sentimental to me. We did a fish theme. I did letters, he did a chill fish. It was so fun painting with him. We were very good, dear friends.  I can honestly say that I loved him as my friend. He died very shortly after that. I miss him very much.

“My style is very definitive.  Again, I think ‘outside’ the box. 
I developed the ‘honeycomb’ style. It is very flattering to see other people do it. 
That came from the Ankh that I was very into for a minute. My pieces are vibrant, contrasting, they move and take you to a different place.  As far as being ‘girly’ or not, sometimes I use a heart for my ‘O’ or whatever, but that’s not simply because I’m a girl. My style is me.  You will always know an ‘OMEGA’ piece. And going back to the old school philo… THAT’S WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE!”

Who are your inspirations?
“Besides my amazing UTIsters. I love Mando’s work, Mear and Vyal. They definitely think outside the box and that’s what captures me.
Do something different and make it DOPE! 
Back in the day I loved AM7, he doesn’t go by it anymore, but KRENZ was and is still…SICK! I loved the way they’d to billboard takeovers! Banksy is also an artist I admire too for that reason.  Also, and sadly to say, the late and truly artistically great Dash 2000 UTI. I loved his work. Again, my dear friend. We’d come up with ALL kinds of crazy ideas for walls that lit up or moved when you walked by. But you still have to keep it graff and not commercial…..crazy ass Dash.  I miss him too. 
I also like female graff artist Asia.  She has a mad letter style. I like it!”

How do you feel as a female in a majorly male dominated culture?
“The fact is, us females have to do at least 10 SICK AS HELL pieces to get the same accolades and respect as a guy who does one. I used to always hear the guys behind me talking, ‘That’s dope for a girl…” But then it turned into, “That’s dope!’
That felt good.”

What are your views on graffiti art being displayed in galleries? Do you think this legitimizes graff, or commercializes it?
“I think you have to decide personally what you want to do with your art.  As kids we were all renegade. Racking, bombing, mobbing.  As adults, we go….oh damn…..can’t (shouldn’t) do that anymore. How can I make a living off of what I love?  Is that not what other people do?  There is nothing wrong with that. Rock your world!  The underground culture of hip hop, graff, breaking, DJ, and rhyme will always continue!  But when was the last time love put food on your table and paid your rent? OK!”

Tell us a random fact about you. 
“I’ve been training in the martial arts for almost four years now. I’m a green belt - very close to brown, in American Kenpo. I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I also train in Eskrima and FMA which is sticks (which represent baseball bats, clubs, crow bars), knives and gun disarms. Me and my husband own a martial arts school, Kenpo Karate Evolution.  We also teach a teen girls’ and woman’s self defense class free on the first Sunday of each month. And besides all that ninja stuff….I’m a Zumba instructor!  Oh, yaaaaaaa!

I am also married to most amazing man of all time! He is everything I could even have imagined and more than I ever thought could be. I do a LOT of things! And he ‘gets’ me on all of it! Especially my graff.  That’s a deal breaker for me if that doesn’t happen! I cannot tell you how much that means to me. FINALLY someone who can understand that I am feminine and love to get dolled up and has a successful career (I was in PR and marketing for entertainment/red carpet events, etc.) and be wined and dined AND, hold up…….wait for it……….. totally bust a spray can and get rough too! VERY important to me! My husband rocks!”

Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
“Yes, There is some guy in the bay area writing Omega. He contacted me about three years ago on MySpace with the most STUPID intro I have EVER seen…‘Hey what’s up Omega, we’re putting work in for the same name…. blah, blah…freakin..blah!’  I replied to this guy to do his damn homework!  You cannot just take someone’s name! 

Let’s all start bombing ‘SKILL’ or ‘DAZE’, or how about we all start breaking and call ourselves ‘CRAZY LEGS’, and popppin’ and start callin’ ourselves ‘Mr. Wiggles?!’
Hey, there’s an idea! So, yes, I called him out. I will battle him ANY DAY! He is NOT OMEGA, and never will be! Come to L.A. and FIND OUT WHO OMEGA UTI IS!”

This is probably old news to you graffheads or DTLA regulars, but Sand’s mural installation (on 3rd & Main) was buffed shortly after it was completed in late February. Although Sand had permission from the property owner to paint the mural, according to Sand, the Sheriff’s Department said it was “offensive to the community.” 
But we don’t understand how the artwork was “offensive to the community” because it was, in actuality, a community-based project.

“I let some of the locals watching me paint help me fill-in the artwork,” said Sand. “It felt good to teach them something new and get the community involved.”

The mural was sponsored by local/small businesses in the community: Conart, MonicaMichelle, 1000bikes.org, Legends Barbershop and Lick it B4 U Stick It (blunt wraps)

Okay, so enough with the bad news. What’s the good news?

Sand’s first and upcoming week-long solo exhibition: “Bow Ties”

“Bow Ties” will feature Sand’s signature ultra-feminine and hood “Sand Chikz” in a different light. Each Sand Chik will be dressed in a tuxedo, symbolizing class, authority and power; three characteristics people often associate with masculinity and wealth. In “Bow Ties” Sand One’s underlying theme seeks to liberate gender-biased characteristics often imposed on women while also questioning the relationship between street art, fine art and the arts institution: Embracing feminine graffiti art as fine art.

The artwork for the show, currently being created, will be auctioned and partial proceeds will benefit the Venice Public Art Walls, managed by In Creative Unity, a graffiti arts advocacy group and leaders of the movement to preserve the walls as a living memorial to high quality graffiti-style art.

A special thanks to everyone who came out to support all the ladies painting live at the Black Roses show!

Photography by Amazyun and HuskeyRadio.

I started painting back in ’95. Back then I was running around with a lot of gangsters and was tagging “Weasel”.  I was raised in a predominantly Hispanic community with a lot of Surenos and so I was very infatuated with gangster tags, having fun, smoking weed and drinking MD 20/20. After a few years, I ran into a couple of girls who were into graffiti and hip-hop scene. I started painting with them, and became known as Kuta One. We formed a crew called KUAD which later became known as DCF. I still hit DCF up from time to time, but currently, I rep HEM and BWS.

I came from a highly artistic family and everyone has some type of talent or at least interest. Everybody has been encouraging and supportive of my lifestyle. My father and grandfather were sign makers and pinstripers so I’ve always had an appreciation for lettering and clean lines. A lot of my influence came from my peers rather than older cats, per se. I learned a lot from my homie Beks DMS SRT IBD. He took me out to paint my first freights. Phevr IBD and Dams ABH also had a lot of influence and have helped shape who I’ve become. 

There was a point back in probably 2001-02 where I was painting horribly and still getting props just for being up and being a female, but I was happy with that… then these two guys who wrote Jest and Aker told me straight up that I sucked. That was a break screeching halt for me. I wanted to prove so badly that I could be good to them. I started painting five freights a week minimum, I was piecing and trying new things, pushing my limits and finally started putting out quality work. I am thankful for those two guys, their criticism helped me tremendously.

One person that I must mention as my favorite artist is Mutes KOG. I think he’s amazing and his letters drive me nuts and as much as I hate to admit it. And Yikes KOG taught me how to paint fast, big and clean. I’m making a conscious effort right now to paint with people who paint because they really love it. People like Romanse179 HYSU EW ROF. He paints for himself and his drive inspires and reminds me of when painting was just pure fun.

I don’t really know if I have a set style, I like to experiment and really just paint whatever makes me feel happy. Versatility is important, I can fit my entire fist in my mouth and I own a chinchilla. I paint a lot for shows and do commissioned work from time to time. When I start painting a canvas I think about what I would like to hang in my own house or bedroom. Then, if it doesn’t sell I’m never stuck with anything that I hate to look at every day. I think I get offered a lot of shows and galleries just for the simple fact that I’m a girl, but then again that could be my classic low self-esteem talking.

For a while I was trying to paint like a guy so that people couldn’t tell I was a chick, then I got over that and went balls to the wall with the fruity colors. Red is my favorite flavor of candy, but any shade of pink is great for paint. I wish i still had a full stock of Berry Pink, that is one of my all time favorites.

I don’t think I’ve had any bad experiences painting. If I’ve been chased it always ended in laughter and there’s nothing better than a good laugh. I like to bring snacks along when I paint, don’t be surprised if I pull out half a burrito from my pocket, a girl’s got to eat.

I paint to clear my mind of all the clutter that is my life. Painting illegally is the only time that my mind is numb to the rest of the world. My addictive personality does not allow me to quit. If I go too long without painting I feel like a failure and the urge to paint eats at my insides. The older I get the more I find myself doing things that are community based. Right now I’m working on mural boards for the 2011 Children’s Summit. It’s a different type of fulfillment and pushes me to get over my ninja anxieties. I struggle a lot with becoming a yuppie art fag. On one hand, I crave the recognition and like the money, on the other hand I don’t want anyone telling me when and how to paint. That defeats the purpose of doing something you love.

-Kuta One 
Gangsta Extraordinaire
 

You can check out more of Kuta’s artwork at Scaling the Wall, an art show discussing the complex and evolving relationship between street art and the arts institution. Opening reception is Friday, March 18, 8–11pm. Click here for more info.

A random compilation of graffiti artwork painted by women all over the world.

“I’m KIF from Leon Guanajuato, Mexico!

I became interested in graffiti when I was about 10 or 11 years old. That’s when my brother and his friends began painting and started BR crew. I would always ask them things about graffiti, but they never gave me much information, which sparked my curiosity even more. I’m not sure if it was because they didn’t want to explain graffiti to a little girl or because they didn’t even really know, themselves. I didn’t start painting until high school when I became friends with other writers and met my boyfriend “Work.” After high school many of these writers I became friends with fell off and stopped painting, but I didn’t.

I currently belong to two crews:

CK: A crew created 12 years ago, I joined the crew in 2008. Current members: Nickis, Fase4, Gogue, Bote, Sukre, Bacteria, Jhard, Unek, Boro and Berk.

IKS: A crew started in about 2003, I also joined this crew in 2008… The cool thing about this crew is that we all live in different parts of the city. Current members: Sark, Truko, Mikro, Gogue, Asme, Kabo, Naus, Jhard, Dreik, Ocre, Blexo, Dekl, Killer, Enter, Time and Dose.

These two crews are made up of excellent graffiti writers in my town and even though I’m the only woman in both crews, they have become second family.
They have and will continue to be a part of my life for many years.

LADY’S GRAFF is a website I began in 2002. At the time, there were almost no women in the Mexican graffiti scene, and the very few women who were had continued to go unnoticed. I wasn’t sure if this was due to the lack of interest in Mexican female graffiti art because it is, obviously, a male-dominated scene, or what, but I felt the need to do something about it. Ultimately, Lady’s Graff became a place where female writers could showcase their work as well as a forum for them to communicate and network with each other. Since Lady’s Graff’s beginning in 2002, the project continues to grow and the number of participants continues to be on the rise.”

To learn more about Mexico’s graffiti girls, check out Kif’s website: http://ladysgraff.blogspot.com/

“Black Roses…in the City of L.A.”
A live graffiti art event showcasing blossoming female talent in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

The title of the event is symbolic for the rarity of the female artists themselves within a male dominated sub-culture. Each artist represents her own mysteriously unique style that stands out as does a black rose within a throng of red roses.

“Black Roses… In the City of L.A.” will take place Saturday March 12th, 2011 from 10:00am - 6:00pm at LandMark, Inc.
LandMark, Inc. is located at 6709 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90003

Stay tuned and check out the Black Roses event blog at blackrosesinthecityofla.blogspot.com!