Interesni Kazki Bring Street Art, Fantasy and Folklore to Jonathan LeVine Gallery in NYC

Last fall, nine street artists from all over the globe came together in New York as part of the International Mural Festival, MonumentArt2015, which was held in East Harlem and the Bronx. The artists hailed from Buenos Aires, Belgium, Mexico City, and a host of other countries, including Faith47 from Cape Town, South Africa, who also lent her talent to The L.I.S.A. Project on the Lower East Side. The following month, Faith47 had a solo exhibit at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Chelsea.

This month, the Jonathan LeVine Gallery will once again bring the creativity of street art into the gallery with the exhibit “Sacred Gravitation” by Ukrainian artists Interesni Kazki. Translated, the name Interesni Kazki means ‘interesting fairytale,’ which is what sprung out of a relationship between two graffiti artists in 1999 who were part of the crew in Kiev, Ukraine named Ingenious Kids (IK).

For several years, they were part of the graffiti movement in the Eastern European countries, painting public walls in the traditional hip-hop letters and characters. However, in time they became very much inspired by murals from other parts of the world, and in particular, Brazil. The duo began painting walls without letters, eventually developing a style merging science fiction, fantasy, and Ukrainian religion and culture. It was then that Aleksei Bordusov aka AEC and Vladimir Mangos aka Waone became known as Interesni Kazki – breaking away from street art into the fantastical dreamlike universe presented in this month’s solo exhibit in New York.

Stealing of the Sacred Laurel (AEC)

Curator Dr. Rafael Schacter describes their work this way, “The celestial, allegorical paintings of Interesni Kazki attempt to bring both the spiritual and the mystical into the everyday.” Interesni Kazki will say that every single piece is a sort of rebus and contains a secret to decipher. Indeed there is. Since the duo teamed up in 2005, they have had a solo exhibit in France, exhibited in Italy, Lisbon, and in Los Angeles. Having contributed a mural for the Wynwood Doors (Miami) in 2001, they were invited back to do a major piece in 2013, covering the three-story building known as Wynwood House, and a group show during Art Basel Miami.

Trick (WAONE)

Spark of Life (WAONE)

Stealing of the Sacred Laurel (AEC)

Plantae Carnivora (WAONE)

Sacred Gravitation opened on January 9. The exhibit will be on view through February 6 at Jonathan LeVine Gallery, 529 West 20th Street.

Plantae Carnivora (WAONE)

You still have time to view Christopher ‘DAZE’ Ellis at the Museum of the City of New York. Read more about our local street art, including our top 10 street art picks for 2015. Get in touch with the author at AFineLyne.