ROUND THE WORLD #12. CHAZ BOJORQUEZ.
February 7, 2010

On one of our nights in Los Angeles we were invited by Chaz Bojorquez to have dinner with him and his wife Christina at their home in Highland Park. For those not familiar with his work, Chaz is credited by many to be the founder of the Cholo art form, and with over 40 years of experience, a true godfather of the LA graffiti and street art arena, inspiring countless of artists in the region and across the globe. His signature calligraphy art form and his character "Senor Suerte" have been Los Angeles art icons for decades, with some of his imagery even adopted by local gangland members "Los Avenues" as a revered sign of luck and power.

We met Chaz when he flew to New Zealand a few months ago for a combined artshow organized by our friend Peap, and we hosted a special Q&A session with a small invite list of 30 of our country's top street and contemporary artists, including Askew, Misery, TMD, and others.

Christina and Chaz put together an incredible meal of traditional Latin American cuisine, starting with her version of ceviche, with fresh prawns and clams and tortilla chips. This was followed by pollo con mole y arroz, slow roasted chicken with cocoa sauce and rice. The dinner was accompanied by Mexican Sangria - with soda water and lots of freshly squeezed lime, which I actually preferred over the Spanish version. So good - I've never tasted food like this before.

Chaz also showed us a preview copy of his new book, "The Art and Life of Chaz Bojorquez", published by Italian firm Damiani, and available in its first run as a 160 page limited hardcover edition of 2000 copies. It documents his entire career, and also has a plethora of never-before-seen photos, sketches and images of Chaz's myriad career over the past four decades. You can pre-order the book HERE on amazon.com.

Chaz also wrote the foreword in this book - Cholo Writing: Latino Gang Graffiti in Los Angeles. A real insight to not only the art, but culture of Latino gangs here in Los Angeles.

After dinner, Chaz took us on a quick tour of his workspace and studio. Whilst most of his work was stored away in one room of the house, he told us that he paints in all areas of the house - in the living room, out on the front porch, wherever he finds inspiration in this neighborhood that he was raised in since he was a youngster. He even lives two minutes away from his old high school. All the original artwork and sketches aside, he also managed to share with us some pieces that aren't commonly associated with his work, including watercolour landscapes, and original ceramics from the 60's, including his first piece from college, from his formal training as a ceramic artist. He also showed us some original movie posters, where he worked as a layout and logo artist for legendary films such as American Graffiti, American Hot Wax, and the Empire Strikes Back. In his words - back when he had a 'day job'. My favourite part - his brush collection, including his specially modified wide brush, consisting of three brush heads bolted onto one handle.

Thank you again Chaz and Christina for the wonderful hospitality. ¡Feliz cumpleaños Chaz!