KYN or Akim Graff (born 1981) is a Spanish

street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant graff ...

ist, currently living in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. His work has been exhibited in Europe, the United States, and Morocco. He is the founder of a non-profit art therapy organization and is a regular volunteer with children.

Early career

Born in 1981 in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain, Graff started his artistic career as a

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

writer in the early 1990s. He has since painted throughout

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and has won some

competitions, including three 1st prizes in special competitions of Graffiti. KYN is a licensed

Art therapist Art therapy (not to be confused with ''arts therapy'', which includes other creative therapies such as drama therapy and music therapy) is a distinct discipline that incorporates creative methods of expression through visual art media. Art ther ...

. He is the founder of a non-profit “c” launched in 2008. He also works in several special centers: City Hall of Tarragona, “Hospital Joan XXIII”, “Hospital Vall d’Hebron,” as a volunteer with children with special needs. He uses

Chromotherapy Chromotherapy, sometimes called color therapy, colorology or cromatherapy, is an alternative medicine method that is considered pseudoscience and quackery. Chromotherapists claim to be able to use light in the form of color to balance "energy" l ...

to facilitate the children's release of emotional states and internal locks. He uses different materials and colors for his paintings as a great tool of expression and creativity. He also does plasma mixing techniques which yields dynamic site with a very touching concept graphic design in the art pieces. His extensive experience with sprays capture the Sketch, capturing realism and expression of every face perfectly. Inspired by design and open places, KYN created a new concept for the graffiti. He makes the design a conceptual part of the piece he is working on, leaving it as a piece fresh and floating in a new concept. The background of the piece is not secondary, it creates depth and gives more force as a whole.

Exhibitions

The first most important solo exhibition of KYN was entitled "a new vision of the Christmas." It took over the famous gallery "Torre Vella de Salou" and generated interest from mass media, like

TV3 (Catalonia) TV3 () is the primary television channel of Catalonia, Catalan public broadcasting, public broadcaster Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals, CCMA. TV3 broadcasts programmes only in Catalan lan ...

, Tac12, print media like

El Punt ''El Punt'' (, meaning in English "The Point") was a Catalan daily newspaper based in Girona, Catalonia (Spain). The newspaper was renamed in 1990 from the original ''Punt Diari'' ('Daily Point'). It was published between 24 February 1979 and 31 ...

and radio. In 2009 he was selected for the 32º Festival International Cultural of Forum

Asilah Asilah (; ar, أزيلا or أصيلة; pt, Arzila; es, Arcila) is a fortified town on the northwest tip of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, about south of Tangier. Its ramparts and gateworks remain fully intact. History The town's history da ...

by Honorable

Mohamed Benaissa Mohamed Benaissa ( ar, محمد بن عيسى; born 3 January 1937) is a Moroccan politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco from 1999 to 2007. Early life and education Benaissa was born on 3 January 1937 in Asilah, Morocco. He ...

with the special guest EUA. Akim Graff marked a big mural in a few days with a really great feedback of the dignitaries at the opening and the public. With art critics gaining interest in his work, as well as those of other urban artists, he began showing in international galleries as well. In 2013 he was invited during Art Basel Week in Miami, Florida. He had murals at the Street Art International Art Fair, where 40,000 people came to view his work. He also showed works at Art Basel Week Miami. He has collaborated with Richard Villasmil for Richards Touch's making an exhibition with Hair for Angel a Solidarity exhibition in the "Four Embassador" in Miami Brickell for "Todos por Zhayr".

Wynwood - Miami

KYN was tasked with painting one of the trendier spaces in 2014, "The Hall of the arts", a cultural space with the more important theatrical productions of the moment in Miami. The main TV stations of

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...

, Mira TV, America TV, Chic Magazine, etc. covered the opening and interviewed Akim Graff in every TV channel due to his abilities and his realism in the performance of his art in the "Hall of the Arts". KYN painharity Hed in one of the districts of high trendy of the arts in Miami, Wynwood. When he finalized his mural, he was interviewed by

Danilo Carrera Danilo Xavier Carrera Huerta (born January 17, 1989) known as Danilo Carrera, is an Ecuadorian actor, Television presenter, presenter and model (person), model. Biography Carrera was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Xavier Carrera and Elsita H ...

in a special program “El Camino” of Univision and Galavision where KYN finish in front of his mural with Danilo giving some advises about graffiti and invited the interviewer to try the sprays with his own hands.

Special live exhibits

KYN has participated in several events with “Wall Brawl” in Miami Beach and Wynwood supporting Ronald McDonald Charity House, event covered by Javier Ceriani interviewing some of the artists and among them Akim Graff. His popularity is growing thanks to his exhibitions live and during the Art Basel Week in Spectrum 2015, where he was followed with all the visitors of the Fair Spectrum. The talent of KYN and the events where he has participated, opened the door to Camilo Egana of

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

, one of the most important TV chains internationally and with a big cultural prestige.

Exhibitions and notable works

*LA ART SHOW 2019 *Exhibition. SPECTRUM MIAMI 2015. Spectrum 2015 *Exhibition Hangar Gallery Wynwood 2015 *Exhibition MRAF. Art Basel Week 2014 with MIIT (Museo di Italia di Torino) *IBCA13. International Biennial of Contemporary Art. 33 Gallery in Chicago: Zhou Brother Foundation (EEUU) 2013 *Exhibition “Everyone for Zhayr” solidarity event in Four Embassador –Miami, Brickell (EEUU) 2012 *Exposition in Nina Torres Fine Art. Miami (EEUU) 2013 *Exhibition in Miami River Art Fair (2012) EEUU *Exhibition in 8 edition ateliers opendoor in the downtown of Tarragona. 2011 *Exhibition in “Francoli” of Tarragona "murs per la Pau" (walls for peace). 2010 *Exhibition solidarity for the Hospital Joan XXIII of Tarragona. 2010 *Exhibition in “Peñiscola”-Castellón 2010 *Exposition in Museum Tarragona “Jazz in Canvas” (17 Festival International of Dixieland) 2010 *Tarragona (Catllar) in the Catllar City Hall 2010 *Exhibition in City Hall of Andorra (Andorra) 2010 *32ème Moussem Cultural International d’Assilah. Contest International in Assilah (Marruecos). 2010 *Exhibition in 5 edition ateliers opendoor in the downtown of Tarragona. 2009 *Salou; “Torre Vella”: ”Exposition Art de Nadal” (Bethlehem in wall) Organized for the city hall of Salou by Akim. 2009 *Jazz in Canvas by Akim: ** Sities Gallery in Barcelona (2008) ** City Hall of Tarragona (2009) ** Hotel SB of Tarragona (2009) *Exhibition in Menorca (Arto).2008 *Exhibition in VidrArt Gallery (menorca).2008 *Exhibition in 3 edition ateliers opendoor in the downtown of Tarragona. 2007 *City Hall of Tarragona; Beneficial for “Asociación Espíritu Libre”.2007 *Exposition in Vendrell City Hall (Vendrell) 2005 *Exhibition in Boxtel (Netherlands). 2003 *Exhibition in Pineda de Mar- Dept of Culture 2001 *Exhibition “Urban Art”- Barcelona Young (Barcelona) 2000 *Exhibition “Street Art”- Lyon Art (Lyon) 2000 *Exhibition in Reus- Young Dept. 1999

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoste, Akim 1981 births Living people Spanish artists Street artists 21st-century Spanish painters Spanish male painters Spanish graffiti artists 21st-century Spanish male artists