Entrepreneurship means taking risks, which go beyond minimal risks and can have values other than just financial. This is the essence of Kelly Graval, the American artist known by the stage name RISK.
I met him at a fundraising event where he donated one of his pieces to be auctioned by RISK. Although he is very well known, I must confess that I had never heard of RISK before this event. Meeting him piqued my curiosity.
I asked to meet and interview the artist whom many consider to be the 21st artist.st The Andy Warhol of the century.
*Andy Warhol was an American visual artist, film director, and producer, a leader of the Pop Art movement and considered one of the most important American artists of the second half of the 20th century.
RISK is a Southern California based graffiti writer and contemporary artist, best known as a founder of the West Coast graffiti scene.
early life
Kelly was born into a Jewish family, with his maternal grandparents being Holocaust survivors. Although his family was not strictly Jewish, Kelly has always been a proud Jew. Growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, he often faced anti-Semitism, “Jewish Fish”. He quickly learned to never back down and to always stand up to those who showed prejudice against him for being Jewish.
In 1983, when he was 15, his family moved to Los Angeles where he attended high school. There he started drawing, mostly on walls. As a surfer, he also drew on surfboards and graffitied his name all over the school. Together with a few friends, he formed the Prime Crime Artists Graffiti Crew.
Kelly thought he began his artistic career in high school, but his talent was there much earlier than he realized. His grandmother, who kept sketches of him from his childhood, reminded him that his artistic talent simply evolved.
Kelly’s education kit includes full scholarship admission to the Pasadena College of Art and the University of Southern California School of Art.
Why is it a risk?
Kelly Graval chose “RISK” as his sign not only because he liked its impactful meaning, but also because it references the rebellious and competitive signature code* of himself and the graffiti he creates.
* Graffiti is a form of visual communication. It is the unauthorized marking of public spaces, usually using paint, text, images or stylized symbols. Graffiti is often associated with street gangs marking territory, but it can also be an act of expression or thrill-seeking.
Art genre
Severn got sponsored by Monster Energy for Risk a few years ago, and the corporate giant allowed him to be himself as an artist rather than going commercial, which helped him realize his artistic dreams.
RISK has his own unique art style and is known as a pioneer of the graffiti movement on the West Coast of the United States. He has always been drawn to pop art and modern art. However, his genre repertoire is in a constant mode of creative change and exchange. First it was graffiti, then he moved to other genres and now he is working on a new modern and unique artistic genre: pointillism graffiti.
In the 1980s, RISK was one of the first graffiti writers to paint freight trains in Southern California and also began painting highway overpasses.
Born in New Orleans, RISK has been creating his art “Art Gumbo”The popular gumbo stew is the official state dish of Louisiana. ‘Gumbo’ Works include paintings, prints, neon, sculpture and street murals.
Butterflies appear in many of RISK’s works, and although he probably didn’t know it, the sum of their numbers, 18, represents the Hebrew word CHAI, meaning life, and also the butterfly, a Christian symbol of resurrection and renewal, both in memory of the 15,000 Jewish children who died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp.
To the artist, the Risk butterfly represents life and death, but also new beginnings.
His artistic graffiti is now well established and has appeared in galleries, art shows and even a graffiti-inspired clothing line.
The multi-talented RISK has also turned his attention to writing books, with his second book due to be released soon.
In 2017, he received the rare honor of being knighted by the Medici family*.
* The Medici were a family of Italian bankers and politicians originating from the Mugello region of Tuscany who consolidated power in the Florentine Republic under Cosimo de’ Medici in the first half of the 15th century.
Risk self-sufficiency complex
Over the past 15 years, RISK has built a self-sufficient creative production facility that currently employs 11 people. As you walk through their art empire, you’ll be greeted by free-range chickens, ducks, cats and dogs.
The home and the surrounding self-contained complex, which comprises the adjacent estate, includes a printing shop, digital media room, workshops, galleries and studios, where a succession of notable names come to create and engage.
All artworks in RISK’s gallery are exhibited and sold, including works by other artists. The gallery regularly hosts art shows, attracting big names from the Hollywood scene, famous singers and artists, and of course the general public, and also has monthly open houses.
Approach to life
Rabbi Michael Barclay, author, lecturer, and founder of Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village, California, introduced me to RISK, whom he has known since 2010.
A father of four daughters, RISK draws on his own life experiences to inform his beliefs. Having been bullied as a child, Kelly is always looking to help others and inspire children.
For over 30 years, Los Angeles-based artist RISK has been catching the world’s attention by creating vibrant art on just about anything imaginable.
Graffiti often disappears and is replaced. However, RISK’s graffiti art has earned a permanent place in the art world. He has striven to transform graffiti into a respected and valued art form, showcasing the versatility of the medium and paving the way for a place in contemporary art history.
RISK spent years on the boardwalk of California’s famous Venice Beach, where he transformed from anarchist to artistic overlord.
There is a certain shyness in Risk’s personality – he admits that he was definitely shy as a child – I don’t think this personality has disappeared, it’s just hidden behind his entrepreneurial spirit.
I often ask my interviewees to wrap up the interview with a message for our readers.
Risk is “Keep going, keep going. Unwavering spirit applies to many things.This is the RISK approach to life, and it’s worth adopting.
