Multi-talented fine artist, sculptor, and graffiti pioneer RISK was one of the first artists to exhibit graffiti and street art in galleries. Born Kelly Graval, the artist moved to Los Angeles with his family and made his new high school his personal canvas. He has participated in a number of street art crews, most famously West Coast Artists (WCA) and the Seventh Letter. In the course of his nearly 30-year career, RISK has become one of the most influential figures for subsequent generations of graffiti artists, particularly in Los Angeles. He is also considered one of the first artists to have painted on freight trains, as well as a pioneer of “painting in the heavens”—a graffiti term referring to highly elevated surfaces like billboards, rooftops, and overpasses. His art can be seen in music videos by everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Michael Jackson.
