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    Master Kel

    Randy “KEL1ST” Rodriguez was born and raised in New York City, rapidly emerging as one of the masters of "Wild Style" lettering in the graffiti revolution of the 1970s and 80s.

    KEL1st quickly became recognized as a cultural icon, a master of graffiti by his peers and art critics alike. He was featured in the cult classic, “STYLE WARS,” the first film documenting Graffiti and the Hip-Hop cultural innovation. Highly regarded internationally, he's a founding member of one of the most prolific graffiti crews of all time, the ROCSTARS. Over the last 40 years, his work has appeared in museums, galleries and auctions around the world and is a part of the permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

  • KEL1st Collections

    Choose Your Style

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    "It was evident on the NYC trains. They were covered with masterpieces created by teams. This was a natural progression for us, we painted, and got up in teams of two or more. Some may appear to be by just one, but there was always a crew behind them. No man was an island."

     

    The Legacy Project’s mission revisits collaborations that launched the historically epic period of graffiti in New York City that has created a category we now know and identify as Urban Art. Kel takes this chance to look back at some of his classic period graffiti while looking forward, using these works to focus his energies on enlightening new generations toward graffiti's rewarding, self-actualizing applications. These are reproduction prints on canvas featuring segments of original iconic trains, custom enhanced by Kel. Each is an original interpretation, also available in 2 sizes of giclée. Select from current works shown or commission Kel to revisit a section of your favorite historic train.

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    It all started back when getting up with those “Hello my name is…” labels. They were an easy way to slap a tag up without being noticed in public spaces. Today we have extended that slap onto various types of labels and “institutional” mediums like subway maps, one way or no parking signs and mailing labels but it all began with that one common theme and statement. Today we just getup with a priority slap and keep it moving. It's no different than a top name brand hitting us with their tags on everything, everyday. In return, I slap it back to them at 6 o’clock each day and invite the entire global graff community to join in at whatever 6 o’clock hour it is in your world. Let's GetUp!

     

    Kel1st presents recent slaps from his daily "6 o'clock Slap" on Instagram. Contact him for dedicated custom slaps.

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    Kel's attraction to graffiti comes from the excitement he felt riding the subways of New York City as a young boy. It was local, a neighborhood thing, which made it very easy to get involved. It eventually became a way to explore the city and meet other writers from the outer boroughs, motivated Kel to develop many different signature iconic styles.

     

    Kel1st is inspired from the past while exploring what graffiti means to him into the future. Everything from Mechanical Wild Style and Machine Letter Style to Bubble letterforms. He works on a wide spectrum of materials in a variety of sizes and prices. Originals shown framed will be shipped without the frame. Inquire for prints, swag or custom originals.

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    What happens when Kel1st meets TATS CREW at New Design High School on the Lower East Side of Manhattan? Rooftop Legends was founded in 2007 by New Design High’s own Dean, Jesse Pais, and is literally hosted on New Design's rooftop. Their annual events have transformed the rooftop of the Seward Park Campus into an open air art gallery featuring work by the most legendary and respected artists in the urban art world. Kel celebrates this reunion with the launch of his Rooftop Legend Burner Collection.

     

    Check out all Kel's latest merch, including a variety of tees, tanks, hoodies and leggings. You can even add some graf at home with posters, pillows and throws.

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    Kel1st is known for his letterforms and innovations, using arrows and dimensionality to move the viewer from the challenge and strife of the streets to the fantastical place where letters do battle, and win. Victory is achieved by the stroke, not the blade. Here we see the culmination of not only hand skills, but years of absorbing nuances and elements of the typography and architecture that inspired Kel1st to start writing.

     

    Original small works on paper combine pastel, acrylic paint, marker, charcoal and ink. Be sure to check out 'The Invisibles' in options below each listing, along with signed prints. Have Kel create a customized original or make a request for swag from Kel's Merch featuring your own letter.

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    With his most recent work, Kel1st embraces the evolving dialogue surrounding cannabis, shifting his urban style to incorporate a modern understanding of societal transformations, relevant and impactful in today's evolving cultural landscape at the intersection of urban art, relaxation and social consciousness. Intricately layered images seamlessly blend cannabis leaves and other foliage celebrating the plant's place in both urban environment and the natural world. Original works in a variety of sizes on paper translate perfectly for prints, swag, or commission Kel1st for an original of your own.

  • Kel's Journal

    Every Picture Tells A Story