KTLA

During AAPI Heritage Month, Ewkuks presents, a Korean-American artist, RFX1 painting a huge dragon for the only middle school in Koreatown, Los Angeles named after a Korean-American - Young Oak Kim at Young Oak Kim Academy (YOKA).

This mural symbolizes hope for Koreatown, especially during the last few years with violence against the AAPI community has been terrifyingly on the rise. In the mural, the dragon is depicted heading towards the light from the darkness, as the sun gives new life everyday, bringing with it a new beginning. The lotus flowers also bloom from the muddy waters when the sun is out, signifying a bright symbol of hope. The dragon is also believed to bring luck in Korean and many Asian cultures. The dragon will bring luck to the school and community as it watches the school and the Koreatown community from the highest wall on its building. On a more personal note, the artist, RFX1 was born on the year of the dragon, according to the Chinese Zodiac, making this wall exponentially fortified with luck and destiny. 🙏 to the Consulate General of Republic of Korea, LAUSD, and Young Oak Kim Academy (YOKA)

Ed Choi and Ron Shawler, co-owners of the Los Angeles street wear shop and art gallery Ewkuks, are producing a clothing line for back-to-school season that will feature more muted colors to match the somber mood.

They had to cancel virtually all of the monthly art shows they had planned for fall featuring graffiti artists—usually festive Saturday-night events with drinks that draw crowds. Now they are trying to put together shows similar to one they did in July, held during the day, without alcohol and with a limited number of people in the store.

They are considering temporarily shutting down the store and going fully online for a while, Mr. Choi said. Or they might focus more on their video work creating art tutorials and filming street artists, including at a mural festival later this month in Kansas City, Mo. 

“We’re just trying to figure out how to entertain people who are still in quarantine,” said Mr. Choi, 37.

Source": The Wall Street Journal

This week on Clean Break we Chat with Ed and Ron from Ewkuks, An Art Gallery and Streetwear brand based in Los Angeles, CA. We chat about how they created the brand, moving to LA, tips for younger people wanting to start something similar, and how recent events have impacted them and neighboring businesses throughout Fairfax. 

International graffiti and street artist, Saturno (the Creatter) creates a stunning visual world of an oceanic post-apocalyptic Los Angeles with “Depths of LA”. The art exhibition includes a diverse collection of street art mixing both black and white ink illustrations on paper, to bright and deep-colored canvas pieces that showcase Saturno’s unique ability to create bold and captivating images without the use of drawing any lines. Inspired by the mysteries buried in the deepest depths of the ocean crossed with the supernatural resilience animals show in adapting to their changing environment, “Depths of LA” brings a unique view to what Los Angeles may look like in a fantasy post-apocalyptic setting. Saturno’s collection is sure to scare, inspire, and mesmerize you all at once.

Born in 1979 in the small coastal town of 'Malgrat de Mar (Barcelona), his childhood was surrounded by VHS tapes, recreation centers, and cinema halls. As a child, near his home, he would contemplate the illuminated signs announcing the weekly films, which because of his young age, he was unable to watch. This circumstance combined with the mysticism of the seventh art, and provoked by his imagination, Saturno began his journey of no return towards the lobby of the local cinema. Once inside, surrounded by all the film art, he was able to hear the whispers of those "prohibited" films, inducing day after day hundreds of film posters passing in front of his eyes.

Pill POP’n Culture brings a new collection of artworks from 2SHAE, highlighting the hold addiction has over its victims. A visual representation of addiction, 2SHAE’s faceless “Pillhead” character is often depicted lurking behind his prey wearing white cartoon gloves with a long black and wiry-haired tail wrapped in bandages.

Like a siren with his river of pills, Pillhead seduces his unsuspecting victims with an infinite sea of prescription bliss. The vivid artwork contrasted with the black and white photography perfectly captures the void left and filled by these pastel pills. The bold pieces allow you to feel the weight of addiction pulling at the beloved icons of today’s popular culture.

Born in West Los Angeles in 1977, 2SHAE was born to two drug addicts who were addicted to heroin and prescription pills. He bounced back-and-forth between his two grandmothers who raised him and prepared him for life….

Source: WSI MAGAZINE

“How to Vandalize Vandalism” An augmented and animated solo show by Fat Heat. Inspired by the never-ending war on graffiti, Fat Heat transfers the battle into the safe space of the gallery. His artworks display fictional graffiti’s in familiar settings, however even this domestic environment isn’t able to serve as a guarantee for serenity: it is their unescapable fate to come alive and then become destroyed. All this in front of your eyes. Beware, the attacks will be animated and all damages will stay virtual.

Fat Heat has been making waves as a street artist since 1998, with whole rail cars from Hungary throughout murals in China, and exhibits in the UK. Painting outdoors in a country and in an era that was almost like a stepping stone away from becoming dead silent in terms of urban culture, Fat Heat took the risk and has never looked back.

SOURCE: WSI MAGAZINE

The time of Ultra has left its mark on this world - epic blasts of energy and color have crossed the galaxy… leaving walls destroyed, alternate realities emerged, and new titans of power created.

Beneath the rubble of the old grey world embedded in the footprints of these Ultra beings, new life begins to stir. The bottom-feeding scum of the earth, begin to emerge from the cracks. They begin to adapt to feeding off the energy the Ultra have left behind. Surging with new powers and a consciousness, they have transformed – becoming a different form of Ultra… They are the Ultra Scum….