HYPEBEAST Spaces: The Working Sphere of Chaz Bojorquez

In the audacious world of street art, many of its founding visionaries have either perished under the justice system or from the inability to stay ahead of the demanding art industry’s always-evolving trends. However, the few artists who have transitioned their talents from the brick canvases in their neighborhood to the gallery walls of famed museums are able to continue their unique style, keeping alive a subculture that inspires young creatives around the world. The longest standing active graffiti artist, Charles “Chaz” Bojorquez can be credited for delivering the Los-Angeles specific Cholo-style of graffiti to the mainstream arena of art. Under the name Senor Suerte (Mr. Luck), Chaz took the Old English typeface used by Mexican-American gangs of the ’40s to new heights with just the stroke of his brush. Now 30 years wiser, Chaz has worked on everything from the cinema classic, Vans, The Warriors, to advertisements for Reebok, with his work on display at a number of museums including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Orange County Museum of Art in California. Constantly on a self-evaluating quest to uncover, “What is graffiti and why am I doing this?” nothing seems to be slowing down this O.G. from the Westside. In an attempt to provide a little proof to his never-ending career, Chaz invited HYPEBEAST into his home to document his workspace in our latest installment to our Spaces series.

Photography: Brandon Shigeta/HYPEBEAST