BISCO SMITH (b.1980) is a contemporary visual artist with roots in music, graffiti, and street art, currently based in Brooklyn, New York. Bisco works in a variety of formats, including canvas and large outdoor murals, and is known for his “visual freestyle”-characterized as a blend of graffiti deconstruction, gestural abstraction, and lyric-based stylewriting. Made predominantly with a black and white palette, his art visually captures the rhythms of music and the energy of the moment through its spontaneous marks and abstracted text.
The principles of automatic writing and freestyle rapping-improvisation, stream of consciousness, and being in the moment-are integral to Bisco Smith’s process. He begins each painting by selecting an instrumental song or beat and tuning into the music. When the inspiration hits, Bisco takes to the canvas with dynamic, rhythmic brushstrokes, writing out freestyle lyrics that express the consciousness and energy of that moment. In addition to textural abstractions, a positive undertone and social commentary is a common theme in his work. Often using tools such as household paint, rollers, spray paint, and wheat paste, Bisco brings what he’s learned on the street into the studio.
Bisco Smith has exhibited art, performed music, painted murals, and partnered with creative brands and live events worldwide. His work is regularly exhibited in major markets and is collected by both national and international collectors. Bisco Smith’s aim is to create work that inspires, captivates, offers subtle social commentary, while adding positive energy to the world.