AEROSOL: Boston’s Graffiti DNA, its Origin & Evolution
Timmy “Zone” Allen, Thomas “Kwest” Burns, Barrington “Vex” Edwards, Ricardo “Deme5” Gomez, Shea Justice, Chepe “Sane” Leña, Rob Stull and David “DS7” Taylor. Archival photography by John Brewer.
December 6, 2024 - February 16, 2025
AEROSOL is a collaboration between journalist Jennifer Mancuso and graffiti writer Thomas “Kwest” Burns. Part historical archive, part visual study, AEROSOL follows the path of the kids who held spray cans, rode the elevated Orange Line, “the El,” racked paint, and bombed the city’s abandoned buildings. While billboards equated their artform to vandalism and gang violence, these young men honed their craft and formed a brotherhood of creatives. Fellow artists who came up under the same conditions as Kwest, practiced their skill on a canvas that wasn’t theirs to make a mark on a city that was. “We don’t exist without each other,” says Stull of his fellow exhibitors.
Pieces will include works on canvas, illustrations, scrolls, decals, and an installation. The subject matter is a focus of early influences and evokes memories of the artists’ youth- from hip hop icons to social activists to scenes of Boston. Works centering in Afro futurism and landscapes will also be on view. The show is the culmination of a five-part series by Mancuso for the bi-monthly publication Art New England exploring graffiti’s early years in Boston and its current influence into the city’s street art. The show invites these former graffiti writers to submit work in their signature style while recognizing true graffiti exists outside of an institution. “We created our own gallery,” says Kwest.
Part of ShowUp’s Curatorial Incubator Program (SCIP), AEROSOL represents Mancuso’s first endeavor as a curator. SCIP offers the curatorial fellow professional development and resources that allow them to develop their creative vision for an exhibition. Under the mentorship of artist and curator Meclina Gomes, Mancuso has transferred her skills as an event professional to AEROSOL, offering the artists a dedicated place to display their works in a space where they often have been excluded. ShowUp aims to further this ethos in creating an innovative environment for underrepresented artists.
Related Events
Press Mentions
McQuaid, Cate. "The Ticket: Upcoming In-Person and Online Events, Chosen by Globe Critics and Writers." The Boston Globe (Boston, MA). Dec 6, 2024. Link
Selected Exhibited Artworks and Install Shots
Ghost Deini (2018), Chepe "Sane" Leña, Acrilic on canvas, 20 x 20 inches
Roxbury Love (2014-2020), Ricardo "Deme5" Gomez, photograph of mural by Ricardo Gomez and John Brewer, rubble courtesy of Rob Stull
Codeswitch: 3 (2023), Codeswitch: 5 (2024), Barrington "Vex" Edwards, digital sculpture, digital painting, acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 36 x 25 inches and 16 x 24 inches respectively
Bartlett Yard (2013), Ricardo "Deme5" Gomez, Photo of mural, 12 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches framed
We The People John Lewis (2023), Shea Justice, Watercolor and collage on paper, 30 x 22 inches
From The Pyramids To The Projects (1991), Timmy "Zone" Allen, Acrylic, spray paint and collage on canvas, 61 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches framed
Slick Rick (2014), Thomas "Kwest" Burns, Acrylic on canvas, 22 3/4 x 28 1/4 inches
Wyclef (1998), David "DS7" Taylor, Paint markers and spray paint on canvas, 36 x 38 inches
Steffie (1985), Rob "Note" Stull, Spray paint and paint markers on denim jacket, 39 1/2 x 28 inches
Installation and art photography by Alex Arlos.
About the Artists
Thomas Allen's work as a public artist spans over two decades. Fostering the development of artists in Boston, Allen works with community members and youth. He is a master storyteller through art. Living in New Bedford, Allen continues to share his knowledge as a mentor. We are honored to have him pour his love into this project.
Thomas "Kwest" Burns is a painter with roots in Graffiti and Hip Hop culture. His work conveys a variety of socially relevant themes, including commentary on urban life, politics and culture. He began drawing and painting out of a passion to express his ideas and visions. Motivated by themes such as love, oppression, freedom and cultural heritage, Kwest works primarily with acrylic paint, oil, spray paint, and pastels. Thomas has created murals throughout the city of Boston. He presently works as a freelance artist painting and creating murals for youth programs and schools. His goal is to continue to elevate, improvise, educate, and process experiences while enhancing his skills as an artist.
Barrington Edwards has lived and worked in the city of Boston as an artist and community activist for over four decades. He attended Hampton University in Virginia for one year then transferred to the Massachusetts College of Art where he earned both a BFA in Communication Design and a MSAE in Art Education. He has since worked in the worlds of art and design, education and community development. He has been awarded grants and fellowships with which he developed social interventions in the forms of performance art and large scale graffiti and comics inspired work.
Barrington continues to work at connecting communities and individuals through art, scholarship and activism using any method or platform that proves to be effective. He is a Massachusetts State Universities Educator Alumni Award 2019 winner, a Surdna and an Expressing Boston fellow, a publisher of comics and graphic media and works as a freelance artist and consultant. Barrington is a member of the Boston Comics Roundtable, a co-founder of Comics in Color (an affinity group for nerds of color enthusiastic about comics and comics culture) and is active with both the Design Studio for Social Intervention and the Black Speculative Arts Movement. He currently teaches Illustration and Art Education as an associate professor at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the Illustration department where he continues to help develop young artists and teachers.
Ricardo DEME5 Gomez is a Dominican born / Boston-based self-taught artist who takes passion in drawing, painting, and graphic design. As an 80’s kid, Deme was heavily inspired by music, movies, and graffiti culture. His artwork depicts various subjects ranging from portraiture, sports, urban life, and lettering.
You may have seen his murals or logos in or around the city. He’s been mentioned in several news outlets, publications, and press. His work is sought after by established businesses and inventive entrepreneurs alike. Chez-Vous, Fresh Food Generation, Kush Groove, and Chilacates to name a few. He’s also exhibited works at galleries such as the Piano Factory, AAMARP, and Artist’s For Humanity.
Deme continues to provide communities, and businesses with murals, branding, and brighter spaces that uplift and help combat the struggles of everyday life.
Shea Justice is an artist and teacher who works primarily in watercolor and collage. He attended Boston University and Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. Born in Roxbury, he currently teaches drawing and painting at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School. His work has been shown in galleries and museums like the Isabelle Stewart Gardner and the DeCordova.
Shea is a member of AAMARP (African American Master Artist Residency Program) at Northeastern University. He continues to participate in the Urban Sketchers art group and co- hosts the Family Tree radio program at wrbb radio Northeastern. He is also a member of Violence Transformed, a Boston based arts group that addresses violence and systemic racism through activities like workshops and exhibitions.
Chepe Leña, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and raised in Jamaica Plain, is an urban artist whose roots run deep in the cultural and visual language of street art. With Salvadoran heritage—his parents immigrated to the United States in the early 1970s—Chepe’s art is infused with a unique blend of cultural identity and urban experience. As a young boy, he often visited Emilio’s, the local bodega, where he first encountered the sights and sounds that would shape his artistic journey. He watched break dancers spinning on cardboard and older kids sharing “black books” filled with graffiti sketches—“ghetto hieroglyphics” that told stories of resilience, community, and creativity.
These early experiences exposed him to the vibrant world of hip-hop culture, sparking a passion that would later define his artistic style. Today, Chepe’s work blends graffiti, portraiture, graphic design elements, and pop culture, often paying homage to hip-hop icons and cultural legends. His portfolio is a celebration of these influences, featuring intricate graffiti burners, expressive portraits, and homages to figures that have defined the hip-hop landscape. Each piece bursts with bold colors, dynamic lines, and meticulous detail, creating an aesthetic that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
Through his art, Chepe Leña captures the energy and resilience of his community, channeling the spirit of the streets into each canvas and mural. His work not only preserves the legacy of those who came before him but also contributes to the ongoing narrative of urban culture. Chepe’s art stands as a testament to his journey and the vibrant, enduring culture of his neighborhood and heritage.
Rob Stull is an accomplished artist with a long professional history in the comic book, advertising and entertainment industries. His projects include: Spider-Man Adventures, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Marvel vs Capcom, Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men, X-Force, Wolverine, Nightwing, 52, Firestorm, Tellos and more. He has been published by Marvel, DC, Image Comics, Top Cow Productions, Chaos Comics, Crusade, Dark Horse Comics, Aspen, Lion Forge and others. He created and curated Sequential Art: The Next Step, a first of its kind 10-year traveling exhibition spotlighting the work of African American comic book artists and their contributions to the industry and popular culture. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and Internationally. He is featured in the books The History of American Graffiti (2011), Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art and Culture (2010), and Change That Narrative (2023). Outside of comics, Stull has produced art and illustration work for the music and entertainment industries. His long list of clients and collaborators include, Camp Lo, Clear Channel, Cornerstone Promotions, Dinco D from Leaders Of The New School, Guru from Gang Starr, Les Nubians, Red Pill Productions, The Fader Magazine, The Matrix Films, Time Warner, Tommy Boy Records, Tribeca, Virgin Records America Inc. and Warner Brothers. Stull was the first African-American artist-in-residence at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (2019-2021), where his work was featured in the ground-breaking exhibition “Writing The Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation.” He co-developed “The Mural Project,” a multi-part project highlighting the intergenerational connections and importance of youth participation in cultivating Hip-Hop culture.
It has been a long time since David "Ds7" Taylor has experienced the thrill of viewing his "graffiti" on the subways of Boston. Unauthorized art in public places at 15 years old was the beginning of Ds7 aerosol art. Painting on clothes was his first art job.
At 20 years old while studying art at Museum School of Fine Arts Boston, Ds7's art was displayed at a gallery on Newbury St. Boston, which was noticed by a hair salon owner who hired Ds7 to paint 6 floor to ceiling portraits. From there Ds7 started his career as an artist and found new love of portraits. Ds7's inspirations come from within, music, film, many travels, associate artisans of their trade and "graffiti". Ds7 technics and styles are original, mastering each technic and or style that he creates then moving on to another to master, repeating that over years. Known amongst his peers as one of the first original aerosol portrait artists in Boston, Ds7 has also mastered other mediums of portrait painting. By taking his time, staying focused, pushing his skill to the limits, Ds7 hopes to create an image that captures a feeling that is then manipulated, causing the viewer to dig deep with your eyes.
“It started by accident really. I picked up the camera to get images for my paintings. Then I learned more about the art and discovered the beauty of the images. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The images became another medium to show many parts of my world and what I experience.”
Photographer John Brewer sought out art at an early age. Like many young artists, as a child the Dorchester, MA native was a comics fan. It was in the pages of some of his favorite hero stories that he was introduced to illustration. More and more he spent his time copying the books until he was able to create his own visions of their exploits. That love of illustration would lead him to painting and serve as the foundation of his work in photography.
“The documentary work started simply as a way to show what my friends were doing. I kept my camera with me constantly. I was just documenting my life. I was trying to pull the beauty of out my surroundings. I started to use the things I learned in illustration about light composition to try and compose great images. To this day I try to frame my shots like paintings.”
One of the first students of Artists For Humanity, John later would go on to teach photography for the organization after studying at the Art Institute of Boston. Later, fashion became his introduction to professional photography.
“Shooting for local designers and models in Boston became my transition. That lead me to shoot New York’s fashion week. Capturing the major work from all the top fashion houses is a favorite of mine. And also the opportunity to work with Tyra Banks for tyra.com. There is always a new chapter to write. Fashion is just the latest chapter in my artistic journey.”
About the Curator
Jennifer Mancuso received her MA in Writing from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2019. Focusing primarily on local BIPOC artists, she is a freelance writer for Art New England with several write ups receiving the distinction of cover article since her start in 2021. In addition to serving as a panelist for Art New England, Follow Your Arts Studio, and the New Commonwealth Fund, all located in Massachusetts, Mancuso has also been a returning guest speaker for Parson’s School of Design in New York City.
Mancuso is the author of Adams Media 2007 publication of The Everything Guide to Event Planning and is currently completing a series of novels on her experience growing up biracial while passing in the shadow of the Boston Busing Crisis.
The author lives in Boston with her two daughters and two Wheaten Terriers.