MR CENZ
Soaring high
pen and ink on 600gsm Fabriano artistica paper
56 x 46 cm
unframed

Mr Cenz gained early inspiration from the seminal book Subway Art where he was captivated by the images of graffiti on the trains of the New York Metro, calling them “masterpieces”. He taught himself by copying every piece from the book until he could create his own letters. He then put into practice what he had learnt on the streets of London when he was just 10 years old. Since his first commissioned mural at 11 years old, he continued progressing and experimenting with his art, becoming one of London’s best-known writers. After a few brushes with the law he decided to find ways of developing his skills legally. He pursued art through college and university and his development in his artistic skill led to a career as a professional graffiti artist with several solo shows and high-profile commissions internationally.

Mr Cenz’s influences range from the old school graffiti artists that inspired him from a young age such as Dondi and Mode 2 to abstract expressionist painters such as Paul Lee, Ken Kiff and Roger Hilton. When he first started out, Mr Cenz used the tag ‘Cence’, over the years this progressed to ‘Cenz’ with him later adding the ‘Mr’. He explains that ‘it’s important to keep the same name so I just stick with it’

His new work focuses on female faces which he distorts in his trademark style which is full of funk and movement. His unique interpretations of strong and spiritual women create futuristic and cosmic-fuelled creations. These ethereal compositions have been described as “surrealist graffiti art for the soul” which depict a “landscape of feeling”.

Both the face and the background are key elements of each piece. For Mr Cenz, going beyond going beyond the face and allowing yourself to get lost in the background is an essential part of the composition. The shapes and the effects built into this composition owe a large amount to the influences of graffiti on Mr Cenz’s work. If one looks closely, you might be able to discern hints of letter forms. The colours used also draw influence from Mr Cenz’s graffiti background. ‘Using oranges and pinks together just don’t normally work’, Mr Cenz explains, but for old school graffiti writers it was often a case of just painting with whatever was available to the person.

Mr Cenz has had many high level commissions including a giant portrait in the lobby of the exclusive Bar 31 in the Shangri-La Hotel at the foot of the Shard. He has also had many greatly successful solo exhibitions as well as being involved in group shows. His recent solo shows include ‘Distortions’ in the Pure Evil Gallery, London in 2014; ‘Future Flight’ in the Proof Gallery, London in 2015; ‘Earthly Powers’ in the CAVE Gallery, LA, 2017; ‘Expansions’ in the Batoux Gallerie, Honefleur, 2018; ‘Behind the Lines in The Graffiti Gallery, Winnipeg, 2018; and ‘Soul Searching’ in 212 Arts, New York, 2019.