The day after we opened BRANDALISM at illest LA, I slept for 16 hours. I was so spent from everything leading up to the event that I haven’t properly reflected on how things went down.

There were a lot of lessons I learned since I assumed the role of a curator for illest LA. I started my run last September with SNAPSHOTS – a personal collection by photographer Ja Tecson. By and large, that was successful. I learned the challenge of creating experience, harnessing attention, and carving a niche into an existing market. When it was over, I was already ready for my next one.

With Antonio Brasko, things transpired rather organically. I believe we were in the middle of conversation when I threw the idea out of working together on a show. He agreed, we picked a date, I ran it by Mark, and finally the opening reception of BRANDALISM happened. This, too, was successful, but very different from my debut. I was tasked with creating a modular art space with spraycans and oversized prints, familiarizing Los Angeles with someone “new”, and furthering Fatlace’s roots in graffiti. Now that this is over, I’m already thinking of my next one.

But before I even get into that, I have pictures to share and people to shout out. Many thanks Antonio Brasko, DJ Mike Rawk, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. We all had a great time because of them. If you couldn’t make it to the opening, please remember that the show runs til March 28! Exclusive merchandise is also available.