Richie blanko

Artist bio

Richie Blanko is a Puerto Rican Graffiti Artist, muralist, curator, and educator raised in SW Detroit doing graffiti since 2003. He spent his teenage years learning to paint graffiti at what is now known as The Alley Project. He has participated in mural festivals and graffiti events all over the US. In 2022 he was awarded the Tead One artist in residence, and a curating residency at The Alley Project. He has worked with companies such as Herbalife Nutrition, Delta Airlines, and Discover Puerto Rico. He also leads graffiti-based classes throughout the city with Motor City Street Dance Academy.

statement

My love for art started through the illegal writings on the walls. Murals that told stories and brightened our community. The markings made by gangs in the neighborhood. Graffiti writers writing their names or monikers around the city as much as they could. The art on the walls really helped give the neighborhoods in Detroit a voice and helped tell the stories of the neighborhoods themselves. It always blew my mind that a piece of graffiti could completely change view on an abandoned property. That by simply adding art to something you can transform it from and eyesore to a treasure. There are so many reasons I fell in love graffiti; from the first time I used a can of spray paint I knew I wanted it to do graffiti for the rest of my life. There was a point in time where Detroit was the number one destination in the world for illegal street art and graffiti, artists from all over the world flocked to Detroit to leave their mark on this historic period of our art history. Seeing this really inspired me to push my craft and to learn more about the artists coming here and the art scenes where they came from. I spent my most of my 20s traveling the USA. Taking in the public art scenes in different cities and learning techniques from different artist. I often describe my pieces as controlled chaos. I like my work to be very busy and somewhat hectic, but also cohesive to a theme. It’s very important for me to use graffiti techniques when I create my pieces. My work is very visual. I often use bright colors for my pieces to give off energy. Party Vibes. I really enjoy finding new ways to apply paint. I use spray paint, bingo dabbers, sponges, many different markers, brushes, spray bottles, fire extinguishers, and other non-traditional tools to apply paint. If I can make a marking with it, I will use it. I use a lot of writing in my pieces to help push ideas and drive points home. I also use a lot of Indigenous Taino symbols and Detroit wording and references in my work. It is important for me to represent my culture, who I am and where I Come from.

16 Levels Beat Making Cypher (Live painting, exhibiting, vending, custom canvases) -Southwest Fight Club (Mural Commision) -El Nino Podcast (Mural Commision) -Discover Puerto Rico x Delta Airlines promo event (Led graffiti based custom workshop for media & influencers) - Awarded Curating residency at The Alley Project -Padzieski Gallery Holiday Market (live painting, exhibiting, instillation) -SneakHeat2020 Shop (Mural Commision) -El Nino Podcast Real Everyday People (podcast guest) -Richie Blanko Mop style at MCSDA (Mural Commision) -All Things Detroit Event at eastern market (Exhibiting, vending, live painting) - 2 commissioned murals at Dreamtroit At the Lincoln Street Art Park -Celebrating Hispanic Culture at 46 N Saginaw Pontiac (exhibiting) - Harvest fest at the Dequindre Cut (led community involved mural) - Gallery Club (Mural Commision) - Chicano Fest (exhibiting, live painting) -Fort Wayne Open Walls (mural festival) -Dally In The Alley (Live Painting) - All Things Art Show at All Things Detroit (exhibiting) - Paint Louis 2022 (mural at Mural event in St. Louis) - Dearborn Art In The Park 2022 (Live painting ) - Welcome to Dearborn Homecoming (mural Commision) - Prismatic Dearborn @ Padzieski Gallery (exhibiting) -Echo Park Guitars (Mural Commision) - Buff X car garage (Mural Commision) - Rock City Breakdancing event (vending, live painting) -Reclaiming Dead Spaces at Spread art (exhibiting, curator) * indicates a required field - Moven Pitcures (exhibiting) -Herbalife Extravaganza 2022 at Cobo hall (live painting, vending, exhibiting) -Heaven is Detroit beat making event (exhibiting, vending) -Motor City Street Dance Academy (teaching art) -SWFEST 2022 (vending, exhibiting) -Pistons Neighbors Program at Romanowski park and Rouge Park (teaching art) -Upward Bound at Wayne State University (Teaching art) - Motown Event at MCSDA (led graffiti workshop) -Humbolt Forest Auction (exhibiting) - Juneteenth Exhibit at Dearborn Art Space (exhibiting) -Juneteenth + Fathers day celebration at - Inkster Cobras memorial (Mural commission) - Custom PlayStations (2 commissions) - Standing O at Mcsda (Mural Commission) -Dearborn open house at Dearborn Artspace (open studio) - Re-Up Dispensary Artist spotlight (exhibiting) -The Collab Project at Padzieski Gallery (exhibiting) -Mardigras at Valade Park (exhibiting) -Tead One Artist Residency (resident artist) -Flint Baptist Church (mural Commission) -Flint liquor store (mural Commision) - St Anne and Vernor (Mural Commission) - Spinelli’s all city Jam (mural festival in Louisville Ky) - Meeting of the Styles Chicago at Crawford Steel (Mural festival) - Chavari Music Festival at Belle Isle (Live painting) -Momentum Public art festival (mural festival in Madison, WI) -Flint Drop Fest (Live Painting) -Legends Of Detroit wall a.k.a. The Station Walls (mural Commision) -Baltimore Gallery (exhibiting) -Get Up to Get Down at D.H.D.C. (Graffiti/mural event) -Azteca Liquor store Motor City Rockers event (Mural Commision + Live Painting) -R.I.P. Raze - (Mural Commision Grand Rapids)

Artist resume

impact

I was born and raised in Southwest Detroit. We grew up around numerous different cultures and immersed the elements of Hip hop (emceeing, deejaying, breakdancing, graffiti, and beatboxing). Expressing them through Cinco De Mayo Parades, Rap and Latin Freestyle, Lowrider’s, Art, and Dance. My community is at the heart of my artistic practice, and they can see themselves reflected through, Hip hop references, candy paint color pallets, cholo lettering, graffiti letters and dancing cartoons. The fact that making a living from an art form so deeply rooted in our community is a testament to the neighborhood itself. I hope to keep sharing stories and carrying on traditions of our neighborhood through my art. I teach graffiti-based classes with Motor City Street Dance Academy working directly with youth all around the city of Detroit. I am currently hosting a monthly "Blackbook Session" which is a community sketching session open to all artists where we trade sketchbooks and draw in each other’s books. This is a tradition within graffiti culture, but it’s not typically done in a public setting. This has created a safe space where graffiti writers can interact with artists from all different backgrounds and experience. This program breaks down barriers, helps graffiti culture come out of the shadows, and expands the community of Detroit Artists. During this session break-dancers from all over the area also gather at the same location to have an open session. We as visual artists get to take a look into the dance scene and vice versa giving us insight into each other cultures and giving us the opportunity to co-create experiences together. Through my work I’ve shown my community, and even my own children, that alternative arts such as graffiti can be evolved into something that is positive for the community. I hope it inspires younger artists to apply their unique skills in different way so they can make a living. I want to help grow Detroit Graffiti culture in a positive way where we can work with the community and get the city as a whole more involved in events and public art projects. I hope to change the relationship between the city of Detroit and the graffiti writers and find ways to work together.

Commissions

Two slots per month

In order to ensure quality and to be able to give my clients as much attention as possible, I only open two slots for commissions every month.

contact me

Phone

3134851099

Email

Richieblanko313@gmail.com