Rama Mayo Reflects on 50 Years of Art, Music and Culture in 'Level 50'
Featuring works by Jen Stark, DABSMYLA, C.R. Stecyk III and more.
Summary
'Level 50' brings together Mayo's paintings, nostalgic found-object works and pieces inspired by skate culture, pop culture and art history.
Featuring works by Jen Stark, DABSMYLA, C.R. Stecyk III and more, the exhibition runs through November 1, 2026.
The cultural entrepreneur presents his first solo exhibition at Galerie Zoë in Hudson, New York, featuring works by longtime friends and collaborators. For more than three decades, Rama Mayo has worked behind the scenes, shaping creative communities across art, music, fashion and beyond. Now, he’s stepping into the spotlight with ‘Level 50,’ his first solo exhibition at Galerie Zoë in Hudson, New York.
Coinciding with his 50th birthday, the exhibition brings together Mayo’s paintings, found-object works and pieces by artists who have shaped his personal and professional journey. The show traces a career rooted in collaboration, friendship and an enduring fascination with visual culture.
Mayo founded independent record label Big Wheel Recreation at just 16, releasing music by Jimmy Eat World, At The Drive-In and The Hives. He later co-founded the United fashion trade show series with Steve Aoki, operated galleries and agencies in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and worked alongside Dr. Romanelli before expanding into the cannabis industry as a co-founder of Hall of Flowers.
His paintings revisit familiar imagery from art history, skate culture and pop culture through a personal lens. ‘HUF Forever’ reimagines a 1997 ‘Thrasher’ cover in tribute to his late friend Keith Hufnagel, while ‘Double Three Liters’ references Andy Warhol’s ‘Double Elvis.’ Elsewhere, ‘Cameron Enjoys a Sunday on La Grande Jatte’ places Ferris Bueller’s Cameron against Georges Seurat’s iconic composition. Assemblages of vintage Homies figurines, Gumby toys and bouncy balls further explore Mayo’s relationship with nostalgia and collecting.
At the center of the exhibition is ‘Soft Serve’ (2006), a monumental 16-foot-wide mural created by Alvaro Ilizarbe, Blake E. Marquis and Buff Monster for a 25-city Rockstar Games tour conceived and produced by Mayo. The exhibition also features works by Jen Stark, DABSMYLA, C.R. Stecyk III, Craig KR Costello, Cody Hudson, Claire Weiss / Day19 and KUJ, alongside four pieces by Mayo’s late closest friend, Matthew Jay Landon.
‘Level 50’ is on view at Galerie Zoë in Hudson, New York, through November 1, 2026, with a closing celebration on October 31, coinciding with Mayo’s 50th birthday.
Galerie Zoë
223 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534
