Raheem Saladeen Johnson was born and raised in West Philadelphia, where his passion for the arts began even before the age of 5. He would draw on whatever he could get his hands on, particularly any wall that came his way, and especially for his mother. As an inner city child, the arts and activities were few and far between. Basketball became another great love of KING SALADEEN. He shined in the sport like no other scoring 1,000 points in high school and at his Christian prep school. For the first time he was given the opportunity to travel across the country where he began playing for the elite AAU teams. It was during these travels that he began daydreaming about color and design. The landscapes he viewed were another source of influence and inspiration.
Luckily for KING SALADEEN his best friend, John JP Thompson, who always knew his talent and worth, bought him his first set of professionalartsupplies. He encouraged him to focus solely on the arts and to make it his life long career. He took his friends advice and the rest was history. In 2011 he began his venture at the Saladeen Art Group. Sadly, a couple of years later, JP, the man who motivated him to push forward and do what he does best, passed away of brain cancer. KING SALADEEN will never forget the friend he was. KING SALADEEN graced Hollywood with his first solo show followed by one at Art Basel Miami. Most recently he held a three day show in SOHO NYC, known for its fine art galleries. When he begins his projects he paints based on his inspiration and vibe.
From Los Angeles, home of swimming pools, shiny cars and movie stars. One rising star illuminates and outshines the rest. Sam Pace, primed and ready to take on the world, was born and raised in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley. At a very early age he presented advanced artistic skills and heavily encouraged by both his parents to express his creative abilities. Along his blissful journey to conquer the canvas, Sam developed a passion for karate and disciplinary conditioning of the Martial Arts. The dedication learned in Martial Arts allowed him to intensely focus on creating Fine Art and ultimately his efforts were rewarded with a full college scholarship.
Samuel Pace continued to excel in both fine and martial arts. After mastering the art of karate, Sam moved to Europe and began the journey to pursue his dreams of mastering fine arts. The critically renowned series created with mixed media, using a variety of paints, were essential to capture the essence of musicians “jamming” and people dancing. Sam wanted the world to see the beautiful scenes that appear in his mind as he listens to Jazz music. From legendary jazz performer Nancy Wilson to the Los Angeles Urban League to the Playboy Jazz Festival, Sam’s client list is as diverse as his works. Sam feels the time is right now and he is eager to share with the world what he has previously only shared with family and close friends. Sam Pace introduces his private works created out his home studio he named “Space 44 Fine Arts Studios”.
Sei Shimura is a conceptual mixed media artist and award winning contemporary designer based in Los
Angeles, CA. Originating from large metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and New York City, Sei’s art naturally reflects popular culture touching on topics such as capitalism and consumerism. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Sei has been able to lead conceptual design projects and develop new ideas of automation and aesthetic through various visual mediums using vibrant color with a vast range of mixed
material allowing Sei to develop a relationship with his work.
He was awarded the top designer award forTokyo Designers Week and has worked with high level brands like Mattel and the Andy Warhol Foundation. Sei hopes to create a conversation about the borderline between art and design. Using his designer background and his love for contemporary art, Sei attempts to present a new flare to nostalgic imagery, and a humorous take on social and political issues.
Having worked with some of the most iconic and influential figures in American popular culture in the last 25 years, Reisig and Taylor have influenced the evolution of the photograph as the cornerstone of Pop Art. From rock album covers to portraits of hip-hop artists, Reisig and Taylor have developed a tremendous oeuvre reflective of their scope, intensity, and skill as both artists and photographers. With the unique capacity to interrogate and breakdown the normative barriers between intimacy and estrangement, anonymity and celebrity, sexuality and conviviality, the force of the aperture as a way of cutting-through such dualistic entanglements emerges as the central strand carried throughout their body of work.
Whether photographing a celebrity like Tupac Shakur or a personal family friend, Reisig and Taylor always maintain a certain tension between the world as it is seen and the world as it is lived—an aesthetic demand to see the world as we live it, rather than to live it as we see it. Their unrivaled ability to give walls a voice is shown in the visual and emotional connection with their subject matter. If walls could talk, what would they say about us, our society, the stories that captivate and define us?
In my early years as an artist, my creative path took two directions. I was inspired to create visual art by one of my college professors, Dr. Samella Lewis, who had introduced me to the Black Arts Movement. I began creating visual art influenced by this politically and culturally charged movement, although my work has evolved to incorporate elements of what is now known as Post-Black. My second and equally satisfying artistic direction was as a songwriter. For two decades, I worked with many great musicians and gained credits that included songs recorded by Patti Labelle, Morris Day, Whitney Houston, New Edition, Rose Royce and jazz artist Dee Dee Bridgewater. Both art and music have often been modes of expression for many creative people who utilize frequency, tone, and color to communicate social messages, transform culture, create universal beauty, and to heal.
Born in Sacramento, CA and raised in South Los Angeles, I am a fifth generation Californian. Branches of my family had migrated to northern California from Canada in the late 1800s after having settled in historic black townships in Chatham County, Ontario, Canada that had sprung from the Underground Railroad. The historic and contemporary struggles and triumphs of African Americans cannot help but inform the content of my work.
Artist Statement
I have always been interested in work that is both conceptually thought provoking and aesthetically interesting. Although I began my career as a representational painter, in the last decade, the lure of hybrid art forms, unconventional materials, and a process-driven multi-disciplinary approach, has been a catalyst for new bodies of work. My current work includes mixed media paintings, bricolage, and sculpture that frequently express layered, embedded philosophical and socio-political themes.
I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, when legalized segregation was in its clawing-in-the-dirt death throes, and into a culture standing on the wrong side of history. I knew I was an artist pretty much from the moment I had conscious thought; and just as early, surmised that things were not right: that some people in this world were treated differently, pejoratively, because of their race and class. The fact that there were no adults I could talk to about this only caused such questions to fester.
Having no access to “real art” – paintings or sculptures in museums – while I was growing up, I only saw reproduced images. And therefore all image-making felt related. And since I considered image-making a gift, I couldn’t understand why someone would make the images I saw that were clearly hurtful and degrading – and again, with no open-minded adult for guidance.
Creating art was my way to break free of the restrictions I experienced – social and class issues, cultural values, authoritarianism, a broken home – and as a consequence I never took, or took kindly to, structured or instructional art classes (life drawing, still life, etc.), because they felt like more impediments to the self-expression that was practically killing me to be released – so I remained largely self-taught.
Originally born and raised in New York City, Moncho1929’s known for his iconic animal-inspired street art. The original series of works are meant to bring attention to the ongoing civil wars in Africa and the decimation of the animal population as a result. The colors used are loosely based on various African flag colors and military fatigues. The sense of urgency on the animals combined with the suspension of the colors are meant to in a sense halt time for a glimpse at a fleeting moment of fear, frustration, escape and freedom. While beautiful, they also have strong social commentary on survival, preservation and awareness. The works have slowly evolved into aggressively socio-political areas as well and speak of various issues ranging from war, poaching, and police brutality to the trappings of fame.
Moncho has had shows for his works in various galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami and London. His work is in many private collections across the world including the French Consulate in Los Angeles and Soho House. NBC’s “The Voice” for a large-scale work, The City of Glendale California, The City of West Hollywood, CA and various projects for public works, has also previously commissioned him.
Patrick Henry Johnson is an internationally acclaimed visual artist based in Los Angeles. His work spans from designing colossal murals as a public art form to fine art as the illustrator for May May Ali’s, I Shook up the World children’s illustrated book about her father, Muhammad Ali. Patrick Henry Johnson’s work can be seen in various parts of the city transforming walls and communities. He is the first artist to have a mural sponsored by the city on private property since the mural ban was lifted, a project commissioned by Council Member Curran Price of the Los Angeles City Council. This 72″ x 14″ foot mural depicts the cost of war to the human soul. The piece is titled The Penta-Loom Ode to Soldiers.
His latest project is titled The Chronicles Of Subjugation: The Art of Conquer and Divide! , featuring assemblage installations that challenge the presence and the way we react to race and prejudice in our society.