After his first solo show at Wunderkammern Milan in 2016, JonOne is back with“Niente può fermarmi”, a new and exciting show in Rome curated by Giuseppe Pizzuto and organised by Wunderkammern at Palazzo Velli, in the Trastevere neighbourhood.
Based in France, JonOne has a reputation as one of the most important contemporary artists and a key figure in the world of graffiti today. His works can be defined as the product of a vibrant mix of graffiti and abstract expressionism, been exhibited in famous institutions such as Cartier Foundation and Grand Palais in Paris. He boasts collaborations with international brands such as Lacoste, Perrier, Air France and Guerlain.
Cogito Ergo Sum, as Descartes has said. Scribo Ergo Sum, would JonOne say. It is impossible to explain which is the energy leading a writer to tag on all walls of his city and on walls of all cities in the world. We can only try to imagine that the energy pushing to a perfect style research, with a nearly monastic study – besides challenging laws of the so-called civil society – is something which creates addiction. Pushing to do it. And then re-do it. And then re-do it again. And making you never want to stop. The only strength that can push to do such an extreme, revolutionary, uncalled gesture, is the unbreakable need to remind everyone, and first of all to oneself, that we are there. There and in that moment, and in all moments when who will pass by will read that name.
Part of the planning of “La Francia in scena”, artistic season of the Institut français Italia, the exhibition opens on March 17 at 6.30pm and will run through April 14th at Palazzo Velli – Piazza di S. Egidio, 10, 00153 Rome.
About the artist
JonOne (John Andrew Perello, 1963, New York, USA) is one of the most recognized contemporary artists in France today, and a key figure in the world of graffiti. His art has been shown in prestigious institutions, such as with the group shows Born in the Street at the Fondation Cartier and Le Tag Collection Gallizia at the Grand Palais (both in Paris in 2009). JonOne is also known for his extensive amount of collaborations with renown companies such as Guerlain, Air France, Lacoste, and Perrier.
Of Dominican origin and raised in Harlem, JonOne began doing graffiti on the walls of his neighbourhood at the age of 17 under the name Jon156, and in ’84 went on to found 156 All Starz, a notorious New York crew. Some years later he moved to Paris, the city where he currently lives and works, achieving international success with works of Fine Art. On January 1st, 2015, he was awarded the Legion of Honour from the French Republic, and his work Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité was inaugurated at the Palais Borbon, the seat of the French National Assembly.
The unique style that defines JonOne’s work, between Graffiti and Abstract Expressionism, derives from the combination of three fundamental elements: the calligraphic forms, the mastering of colour and the complex painting texture. Inspired by the dynamism and vitality of the city, the artist’s works emanate an extraordinary energy, thanks precisely to the continuous intersection of lines and the extreme brilliance of the colours used.
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
