I began writing in Huntington Beach, 2006, a place with not much of a scene at the time. Fortunately, I found myself amongst a few motivated writers and my work started to proliferate to different neighboring cities and before I knew it I was traveling around the country and abroad to paint. They pushed me to seek spots that were highly visible and paint as large as possible. This approach to graffiti allowed me to focus on quality which made me sketch a lot. I enjoyed making pieces loud, fun and interesting to look at. This is something I’ve always found really great about graffiti, there are no rules to what you can or want to paint and it’s available for everyone to see and I wanted people to look at the pieces and become curious and sometimes even confused.

At the early stages of my career I was mostly drawn to popular names most writers are familiar with like Atlas, Saber, Pose and many others that were heavily involved in the scene, though as I began to develop and mature I was pulled towards more obscure and experimental work like Avert, Roids, Ruin and a lot of others who are pushing the boundaries of what “graffiti”can be and look like. Traditional graffiti will always have a special place in my heart but playing with what is seemingly unacceptable is a huge motivator for me right now. Throughout the years my focus has shifted largely to studio work and piecing. I find myself continuously exploring type, letters, shape, and form. The enjoyment of challenging my taste often leads me to accept designs that initially seem off, strange, or even slightly uncomfortable. This process allows me to challenge what I believe is “good” design and continue to learn and broaden my comfort zone.

Follow Isrek on Instagram @isreked

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