JonOne

John Andrew Perello alias JonOne is a Graffiti artist and painter of Dominican origin who was born in New York in 1963.

Growing up in Harlem, JonOne started doing graffiti on the streets of his neighborhood aged 17.

A self-taught artist, he turned to painting on canvas (a support that would bring him international fame), producing work clearly influenced by his experience (hip hop, street life, the metro) and by modern painting.

In an innovative style which goes beyond the "rules" of graffiti (street art, urban culture), his pieces address the "freestyle" (freedom that he advocates above anything else), his key concept that doesn't impose any limits.

It was after moving to Paris in 1987 and after meeting artists of all styles (Speedy Graphito, LAII, etc.), that a new adventure began for him: that of the canvas.

In his graffiti paintings, the space is fully used, empty, white spaces simply do not exist. Color acts as his lifeline, his palette is rich and deep, the tones and contrasts reveal games of subtle nuances, with harmonious composition which appear spontaneous but also designed, the shapes are formed and deconstructed, curvy or straight. There is symmetry and asymmetry, repetition and unity, his strokes are controlled with precision and flexibility. Each of his paintings is an abstract improvisation, whose brilliance transmits the joy of life.

Very quickly, he made a name for himself in the Parisian art world.