Bando

Mode2

When we first saw this lineup we were excited to see 3 legends coming together once again to rekindle old friendships as well as legendary styles. 3 names synonymous with Graffiti in Europe and all members of CTK or Crime time Kings which the show is named after. Almost 30 years later the trip emerges with a new body of work pulling from their historical graffiti as well as new progressive forms of style. We look forward to the opening and for now share with you some preview images of the work as well as preview of a silkscreen edition that will be released as part of the exhibition.

GF

Unruly Gallery and Wix are proud to present
Crime Time Kings: Bando / Mode2 / Shoe

Old school, new paintings

Back in the early Eighties the New York graffiti virus was ready to spread around the globe. Western Europe was the first to get hit. On walls and trains but also in galleries and museums.

London, Paris and Amsterdam proved to be fertile grounds for this beautiful illness. It was there that a handful of angry young men got infected and united themselves in the Crime Time Kings. Shortly after, they started traveling and cities throughout the continent never looked the same.

It was mostly in Paris where the highly motivated painters gathered, specifically at 110 Rue du Bac. There stood a magical house which was governed by Bando’s mother Aki and became known as Crime Time HQ. It was on the day of her funeral in 2013 that Bando, Mode2 and Shoe were reunited after many years and it was decided to realize this three-man show, and dedicate it to her.

When others chose to stay rooted in the street and teach new generations, Bando, Mode2 and Shoe each spread their wings to develop personal styles that are now celebrated artists world wide. These main figures of the CTK successfully made the transition from the 1980s street culture to the 21st century art world.

Bando (1965) grew up in Paris and New York. After a perusing carriers as a catacombs explorer, graffiti artist, snowboarder, surfer, jazz-rock/funk producer and cave diver, he now lives in the Dominican Republic where he lives and paints (pool side).

Mode2 (1967) was born in Mauritius, grew up in London, lived in Paris for many years and has now settled in Berlin. He is know for his unique depictions of women but also for the letter orientated ‘one-liner’ paintings. Mode featured in the legendary MOCA exhibition Art in the Streets in 2011.

Shoe (1967), also known as Niels Shoe Meulman, is born, raised and based in Amsterdam. He is an artist, graphic designer and art director. In 2007 he revolutionized the art of writing with Calligraffiti, an art form that fuses calligraphy and graffiti. Since then he has been painting and exhibiting all over the world.

Crime Time Kings: Bando / Mode2 / Shoe
New paintings for sale
Friday 27 June 2014 / 17:00 – 21:00 (one day only)
Lobster House, Frederiksplein 6, 1017 XM Amsterdam
www.unrulygallery.com