When the BLVKBOOK family decides to pull up somewhere, we don’t just show up we transform the space with our presence. That’s exactly what happened when we descended on the Mr. Brainwash Museum in LA, and I’m telling you right now, this wasn’t just some casual Sunday gallery stroll.
We came through with the whole squad Tom Wright and Greg Hasty holding it down with us, bringing that energy they always bring. Before we even stepped through those doors, you could feel it. This place vibrates different. It’s not one of those museums where you gotta whisper and pretend you understand what you’re looking at. This is where pop art screams at you in technicolor and dares you to look away.
Mr. Brainwash Thierry Guetta for those keeping score didn’t just create a museum. He built an experience. Walking through those doors was like stepping into the mind of someone who refuses to color inside the lines, someone who sees the world as one giant canvas and decides to paint it his way. Every surface is alive, every corner bursting with that raw fusion of street culture and fine art that makes you question why we ever separated the two in the first place.
Tom and Greg were instantly in their element, dissecting techniques, talking about the layers spray paint, stencils, mixed media all working together. That’s what I love about moving through spaces like this with people who truly see. The BLVKBOOK family spread out naturally, everyone gravitating toward what spoke to them, but all of us connected by this shared moment of pure discovery.
Here’s what makes Mr. Brainwash’s work hit different: it’s accessible without being basic. Einstein with his tongue out, Marilyn in colors that wouldn’t exist in nature, icons from music and culture filtered through this unique lens it’s familiar and completely new at the same time. He’s dismantling the walls between “high art” and “street art” one spray can at a time.
But let me tell you about the moments that had us all stuck. The Star Wars room was straight magic our entire childhood reimagined through his pop art vision. Everyone in the crew was losing their minds, connecting with the work on levels we didn’t expect.
Then there’s his genius use of scale. He takes toys and objects you could once hold in your hand and blows them up to monumental proportions. That giant Apple II computer installation, towering over us like a monument to tech history? When something small becomes massive, you’re forced to really see it and consider what it means. These objects shaped who we are, and he’s making them larger than life because that’s how they live in our memories anyway.
The rooftop shifted everything. Mickey’s Fantasia brooms actively painting the floor not a painting of the scene, but the actual enchanted brooms brought to life in three dimensions, caught mid spell. It’s whimsical, surreal, and exactly the kind of installation that reminds you why we need art.
But the wall of Mona Lisas? That might’ve been the moment for me. Instead of treating Da Vinci’s masterpiece with stuffy museum reverence, Mr. Brainwash created an entire wall where the most famous face in art history gets remixed and reimagined. Each Mona Lisa transformed differently some with sunglasses, some exploding with color, some completely deconstructed. It’s irreverent without being disrespectful. Greg was breaking down how this approach democratizes art, strips it from the pedestal. Tom was documenting every variation because each one was telling its own story.
There’s something powerful about experiencing art collectively. We weren’t just individuals passing through; we were family moving through this space together, building on each other’s observations, challenging perspectives, creating memories that’ll outlast any photograph.
Walking back out into that LA twilight, it hit me what made this day resonate. Yeah, the art was incredible world class, mind expanding. But what mattered most was the BLVKBOOK family doing what we do: showing up together, elevating each other, finding inspiration and beauty in spaces that speak to our souls. Tom, Greg, everyone we brought our full authentic selves to this experience, and that’s what transformed a museum visit into something we’ll carry with us.
And here’s the thing that kept running through my mind: somewhere out there, Banksy is probably watching all of this unfold with the most complicated smile. The street artist who helped launch Mr. Brainwash into the stratosphere with Exit Through the Gift Shop was it commentary? Was it satire? Was it the greatest art prank ever pulled? Or did the student actually become the master? Maybe the real masterpiece isn’t what’s on the walls. Maybe it’s the fact that we’re still asking the question. Maybe Mr. Brainwash’s entire existence is the art, and we’re all part of the installation. If that’s the case, Banksy pulled off something even more brilliant than any stencil on a brick wall he created an artist who creates artists out of everyone who walks through his museum trying to figure out if it’s genius or the joke. Either way, we’re here, we’re inspired, and we’re creating. Mission accomplished.
That’s the real power of art. It doesn’t just exist on walls. It connects people. It sparks dialogue. It reminds us why creativity isn’t optional it’s essential.
See you on the next adventure. Keep creating. Keep building. Stay BLVK.
We don’t just collect art at BLVKBOOK we curate movements. And LA based contemporary artist RABBHEAD is exactly the kind of raw, unapologetic talent that belongs in our stable.
Since November 2025, RABBHEAD has been officially part of the BLVKBOOK family, and let me tell you, this partnership is electric. Born in 1979, this neo expressionist street artist has been tearing up the contemporary art scene with a style that’s equal parts visceral and nostalgic. His kinesthetic cartoon illustrations aren’t just eye candy, they’re brutal commentaries wrapped in childhood memories.
Working primarily in acrylics and mixed media with chalk elements, RABBHEAD transforms iconic characters into something deeper, darker, more honest. His Mickey Mouse isn’t your friendly theme park mascot, it’s a reflection on commercialism and cultural mythology. His Pink Panther piece pulse with an energy that questions the simple narratives we grew up with. And when he puts Popeye on canvas? That sailor man becomes a symbol of resilience and raw power, reimagined through bold color contrasts and crude expressionist strokes.
“Every color speaks to me on multiple levels and different stages of my life,” RABBHEAD says. This dialogue manifests in his synthesis of past, present, and future reality fragments colliding on canvas in explosive combinations. His Visual Arts MBA and Graphic Design background from Iberoamericana University give him technical precision, but it’s his street art roots that provide the soul.
The accolades speak volumes. A 2022 International Clio Award nomination for Contemporary Art. Shows everywhere from NYC’s World Trade Center to London, Dubai, Athens, and Berlin. Three consecutive appearances at The Other Art Fair Los Angeles. This is an artist who’s already claimed his place in the conversation.
And January 2026 marks a major milestone: RABBHEAD’s upcoming exhibition at the prestigious Bruce Lurie Gallery in Santa Monica. If you know LA’s art circuit, you know the Lurie Gallery doesn’t play. This show will showcase his signature pop culture deconstructions alongside new work that promises to push boundaries even further.
BLVKBOOK isn’t just about collecting beautiful things. We’re about championing artists who challenge, who disrupt, who make you uncomfortable in the best possible way. RABBHEAD fits that vision perfectly. His work lives in collections across continents from Los Angeles to Singapore, London to Mexico City because it speaks a universal language of rebellion and reinvention.
Welcome to the family, RABBHEAD. Let’s burn bright together.
Discover more about RABBHEAD at rabbhead.com and catch his January 2025 show at Bruce Lurie Gallery, Santa Monica.
On November 20th, 2025, Sotheby’s auctioned Frida Kahlo’s El sueño (La cama) for US $47 million (US $54.7 million with premium), making the 1940 painting a record for artwork by women artists at auction, overtaking the previous record holder, Georgia O’Keeffe. The dollar amount alone is enough of a feat for this piece that is relatively young (only 80 years old), but is also a considerable increase from when it last sold in 1980 for US $51,000.
What can emerging artists take away from the resurgence of Surrealism among art collectors?
El sueño (La cama)
As I’m not an expert in Frida’s art, so I’ll pull info from Sotheby’s website of info about history, sales data and details about El sueño (La cama), with supporting info from artnet.com and fridakahlo.org. I highly recommend reading Frida Kahlo’s Letters to Nickolas Murray about her time with the Surrealists in 1939. All source info can be found listed below. Here’s an introduction to the piece to get us familiar.
“Frida Kahlo’s El sueño (La cama) from 1940 is among the most psychologically resonant and formally compelling works in the artist’s storied oeuvre, a surreal, deeply introspective self portrait that bridges personal symbolism, Mexican cultural iconography, and Surrealism. Painted during a particularly fraught moment in Kahlo’s life, El sueño (La cama), or The Dream (The Bed) in English, occupies a critical position within her practice, encapsulating her lifelong preoccupation with mortality, physicality, and the emotional complexities of selfhood.” (Source: Sotheby’s)
In 1940, Frida suffered deteriorating health problems from polio and serious complications from a bus accident in 1925. Her lover Leon Trotsky had just been killed and she was experiencing a divorce and remarriage to Diego Rivera. Beds are a recurring theme for Kahlo, as she was bedridden for long periods at this time, and a viewer can see the sense of entrapment and loneliness she must have felt during these periods of her life.
“Kahlo’s depiction of mortality in the present work is neither theoretical nor distant. Rather, it is intimate, tactile, and saturated with the emotional and spiritual registers of her experience. The suspended skeleton is often interpreted as a visualization of her anxiety about dying in her sleep, a fear all too plausible for an artist whose daily existence was shaped by chronic pain and past trauma.” (Source: Sotheby’s)
It is also worth pointing out that the skeleton above her bed in the piece is wrapped in dynamite and sleeping on two pillows. The skeleton is also designed in a paper mache style, reminiscent of Dia de los Muertos designs and Mexican/Chicano culture.
“The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”
Frida Kahlo did not consider herself a Surrealist, but was invited into the prestigious group after meeting André Breton in 1938. In the letters she wrote during her time working with the Surrealists, she expresses being miserable with Brenton and the other artists, as well as how her work was being presented and mistreated. I encourage readers to dive into Frida Kahlo’s Letters to Nickolas Muray for a glimpse into the raw emotions Frida shared while travelling “I rather sit on the floor in the market of Toluca and sell tortillas, than to have any thing to do with those “artistic” bitches of Paris.”
Followers of her work can understand why she may have felt like an outsider to Surrealism, since it is, by definition, about dream-like states and pushing the boundaries of imagination, such as the works of Dalí. Whereas much of Frida’s artwork consists of self portraits often created while she was bedridden, expressing pain and isolation she also deeply wanted her work to be seen. So, like many of us would, she endured to share it with the world.
Her popularity only grew after her death in 1953. She became an icon of feminist movements starting in the 1970s, Hayden Herrera published A Biography of Frida Kahlo in 1983, and in 2002 the Academy Award winning film Frida, with Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina, was released. This is only a fraction of what her name and image have used for political movements, inspiration for other artists, and various products. Frida is certainly not the first icon to live on after death, but one could wonder what Frida herself would think of her fame today.
Frida Kahlo by her bed (with kitten) Selma Hayek in Frida (2002)
Now it is 2025 and Frida’s catalogue of work, and her image, have arguably reached the level of a modern icon and this year one Kahlo piece now sells for US $47 million. We have yet to mention her other artwork that has been sold for undisclosed amounts to private collectors over the years and a quick search about this sale will show larger discussions regarding these very large and anonymous art deals at these events, as well as their impact on the art consumption culture. It’s also worth noting that the image of Frida has only grown since the feminist movements of the 1970s, and her self portrait and influences can be seen in an incalculable number of artists’ work today.
There’s a palpable irony in the art community when a beloved icon reaches a level of notoriety and monetary value that the vast majority of us cannot fathom in our day to day lives. What one person may see as market trends, others can also translate into exploitation of an artist’s name and image. In Frida’s case, we can also see what her image has become after her death. She has become an inspirational figure for women’s rights and Chicano art globally, despite her artwork being very much about pain, loneliness, and identity in her life under Diego’s shadow. Perhaps this is another milestone in a long journey of unintended successes for a woman trying to cope with her realities.
The Resurgence of Surrealism
While much of the attention during the auction on November 20th was given to Frida and El sueño (La cama), what can also be taken away from that evening is an intriguing success for Surrealist and Expressionist art in the market, as well as a continued emergence of collectors interested in more art from women and and Latin artists. El sueño (La cama) was included in Sotheby’s “Exquisite Corpus” evening auction among quite a few other Surrealist pieces.
“Among the most distinguished private collections of Surrealist art, Exquisite Corpus represents the culmination of a lifetime’s engagement with one of the twentieth century’s most revolutionary artistic movements. Assembled over four decades with a connoisseurial eye and unwavering dedication, the collection traces the movement’s imaginative arc and recalls the collaborative Surrealist game ‘Exquisite Corpse,’ in which artists’ successive sketches coalesced into unexpected and fantastical forms. Rarely seen and long preserved in private hands, the collection stands as a testament to Surrealism’s enduring capacity to challenge perception and provoke critical reflection, and affirms its profound relevance in the modern era.” (Source: Sotheby’s)
Several pieces from women of various cultural backgrounds were included in the sale that evening for equally impressive sale prices, including; Valentine Hugo, Kay Sage, Dorothea Tanning. Many critics and writers describe the art industry in a place of reconsidering the women of the Surrealist movement, and these record breaking auction sales seem to emphasize that momentum. The “Exquisite Corpus” sale totaled US $98.1 million, right at the high end of its estimate of US $66.2 million to US $98.9 million.
Christie’s Jussi Pylkkanen commented that evening about the state of the art market and what he witnessed at the November 20th auction.
“Tonight’s sale at Sotheby’s clearly illustrated that the market has turned a corner. Consignors can be confident that the global art market is properly back on its feet. It’s also great to see that the beautiful theater of auction has returned.”
It’s possible to make parallels between the time of Frida and similar artists’ desire for expression in today’s artwork. Many popular artists are exploring new ways to create, breaking away from traditional forms and constantly evolving. We all struggle in our own ways with the world around us right now and artists are our catalyst for feelings we may not be able to put into words. Experiences, storytelling, and perspective are now commonplace among emerging artists and maybe collectors are searching for more meaning in the art they choose more than ever. Perhaps in a time where the world is tightening its grip, as in Frida’s time, is when we’re looking for deeper expression and individuality in the art around us. Turning to symbols, myths and dreams as a reaction to destruction and difficulties in our worlds.
Thoughts for Artists
While this article is not predictive of the art market, it’s worth exploring the increased popularity of Surrealist and Expressionist artwork among collectors and how emerging artists can ride this wave of momentum for their own artwork. We take away some assumptions from the November 20th auction that the global market for artwork is increasing in strength and there is more interest in non traditional art among collectors than ever, especially pieces that explore emotional context and cultural identity. We can also see what some may consider non-traditional artforms, such from the Surrealist artists of the 1940s to more modern artists and their uses of Expressionism. This may only be just beginning to have new opportunities to engage collectors and evoke emotion to larger audiences than ever before.
“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.”
For my emerging artists trying to make it in the industry, I leave you with some thoughts for introspection:
How are we using cultural identity in our art to evoke emotion to viewers?
Are we holding back our emotional exploration and vulnerability in our work for fear of not being marketable? In what ways?
What inspiration can we draw from Frida and other re-emerging Surrealist artists’ to curate our own collections, in a way that is true to our sense of self?
Last Thursday night, while the art world fixated on Miami’s Art Basel that annual spectacle of champagne and seven figure price tags something more authentic was happening in Downtown Los Angeles. Sixty galleries opened simultaneously for DTLA Art Night, and what unfolded was everything Basel isn’t: accessible, raw, electric, and unapologetically real.
We rolled out with the BLVKBOOK crew, starting at Emerging Gallery where the energy was already building. From there, we stumbled across the street to the former Luna Factory gallery space not even on the official Art Walk map, but the art was up on the walls and drew us inside.
The previous Luna Factory had that warehouse rawness that lets art breathe without white cube pretension. Austin Horton was showing, and his “Big Bad Wolf” stopped us cold. This wasn’t your childhood storybook villain this was the wolf as truth teller, all teeth and honesty. Horton’s work carries that uniquely LA quality where street art’s directness meets fine art’s ambition without apology. The piece felt equally at home on a warehouse wall or museum floor, which is exactly the kind of versatility that makes an artist worth watching.
Walking up the block to The Vault Gallery (@thevaultartgallerydtla), you could feel the night opening up. Sinister Monopoly recommended we check out his space, current owner and a sick artist himself now featured at BLVKBOOK. Look out this week for his featured article.
For this Art Night, Anna P. Sutton handled curation, watching her work was a thrill she held court stopping the room every time an artist made a sale. Our very dear friend and master printer Montana Mills bought a couple of works from Raised in LA shout out to @Ianlantzart for holding it down in the streets and the galleries.
The Vault was packed with artists, collectors, the curious, all mixing without gatekeeping. The centerpiece was Swhayze Boy’s “Frankie Warhol” series, and it delivered.
This is Pop Art that understands we’re not living in Warhol’s world anymore we’re living in the aftermath, where everyone’s famous for fifteen seconds on a loop. Swhayze Boy takes that reality and runs with it, creating work that references the Factory era while speaking directly to right now.
The technique hits: bold colors crashing into graphic precision, enough rawness to keep it honest. You can trace the lineage from Warhol’s silk screens through Fairfax streetwear straight to these pieces. What makes it resonate is the lack of cynicism. Schwayze Boy commits to the joy of the image, celebrates visual culture without irony, and in an art world drowning in knowing winks, that sincerity lands hard.
Moving through galleries, we kept running into familiar faces bumped into Alex Whitehouse from BLVKBOOK, and the BLVKBOOK legend Flavio, we almost had the whole gang but still missing Mo love. We are getting Mo out downtown next month for sure.
We’d planned to hit the FAB the Fine Arts Building but the night had its own rhythm and we missed it. Some spaces deserve their own dedicated visit. We’ll make that trip happen.
We closed out at Slipper Clutch, the speakeasy where owner Bobby was holding court. There’s something perfect about ending a night of visual art in a space that’s all about atmosphere and intentional curation. Bobby has his own gallery dive in the back of the Greyson bar look for the door in the back like a proper speakeasy.
Here’s the contrast: while Miami’s Art Basel operates as a transaction engine for the ultra wealthy where art becomes an investment portfolio, where access requires credentials DTLA Art Night runs on different fuel. Artists are in their galleries talking about the process. Gallery owners remember names. The conversation centers on ideas and meaning, not market projections.
This accessibility doesn’t make it less serious. Artists like Austin Horton and Swhayze Boy are creating without institutional safety nets, making work because silence isn’t an option. Sixty official galleries, coffee shops, restaurants and even record stores all open to whoever walks through the door. No VIP lounges. No velvet ropes.
DTLA galleries holding it down last Thursday represent a fraction of what’s actually happening across the city. They’re not asking permission. They’re not seeking Basel’s validation. They’re building something real.
And keeping it real.
BLVKBOOK will be back again DTLA art night next month come find our crew.
Where Emerging Talent Meets Established Vision in Miami
Miami Art Week has a way of overwhelming the senses. Between the celebrity sightings, the champagne fueled openings, and the endless parade of galleries vying for attention, it’s easy to lose sight of what actually matters: the art itself. But walk into the Mazlish Gallery at Aqua Art Fair, and something shifts. The noise fades. The spectacle recedes. You’re left standing in front of work that actually moves you.
Under the thoughtful leadership of John Mazlish, this gallery has built its reputation on a simple but powerful philosophy: “Art With Heart.” It’s not just a tagline it’s a curatorial vision that prioritizes emerging artists, authentic expression, and the kind of work that creates genuine connection between viewer and canvas.
The Mazlish Gallery’s presentation at Aqua Art Fair showcases an impressive range of contemporary fine art photography, painting, sculpture each piece carrying its own narrative weight. This isn’t art for art’s sake; it’s art with something to say. The collection unfolds like a conversation, with each artist contributing their unique voice to a larger dialogue about identity, culture, and the human experience.
Walking through the space, you’re struck by the deliberate curation. Nothing feels arbitrary. Every piece earns its place, and together they create a tapestry that resonates long after you’ve left the booth.
EDDY BOGAERT: HIDDEN MESSAGES
Then there’s Eddy Bogaert, whose seamless blend of abstraction and figurative elements creates a visual language all its own. Bold colors and dynamic compositions explore the depths of identity and emotion through mixed media techniques that layer meaning upon meaning.
His painting “I Need Space” captivated me. At first glance, it’s a striking composition that works on pure aesthetic terms. But look closer, and you discover hidden messages embedded in the work visual Easter eggs that reward attention and transform the piece from beautiful to profound. It’s the kind of work that keeps you coming back, discovering new elements each time you look.
Bogaert’s art resonates because it operates on multiple frequencies. You can appreciate it for its surface beauty, or you can dive deeper into the conceptual framework. Either way, it works.
STEPHEN LEE SCUPTER: REDEFINING PERCEPTION
Stephen Lee Scupter brings innovation to sculpture in ways that challenge conventional understanding. His pieces explore identity and perception, using dynamic manipulation of materials to create installations that demand reconsideration. How do we relate to art? How does art relate to space? How do we, as viewers, complete the work through our presence and attention?
Scupter’s sculptures don’t just occupy space they transform it. They create dialogue between the work, the environment, and the viewer, making each piece an essential focal point that shifts depending on where you stand, literally and figuratively.
MATTHEW MARCOT: BREAKING BOUNDARIES
Matthew Marcot refuses to be confined. His eclectic approach merges painting, sculpture, and installation into a hybrid practice that challenges every conventional boundary the art world tries to impose. The result is work that addresses themes of identity and human experience with refreshing honesty.
Marcot’s pieces invite reflection. They ask questions without providing easy answers, creating space for viewers to bring their own perceptions and connections to the dialogue. In a fair full of work that tells you what to think, Marcot’s art asks you to think for yourself.
JOHN HERBERT WRIGHT: CULTURAL DIALOGUE IN COLOR
John Herbert Wright commands attention. His masterful integration of abstraction and realism creates paintings and sculptures that operate on multiple levels simultaneously. There’s a profound understanding of form and color at work here the kind that only comes from years of dedicated practice and an intuitive grasp of how visual elements communicate emotion.
But it’s Wright’s African chairs that truly stopped me in my tracks. Adorned with vibrant graffiti colors, these pieces transcend their functional origins to become powerful statements on cultural dialogue and artistic expression. The juxtaposition of traditional form with contemporary street art aesthetics creates something entirely new a bridge between worlds, between traditions, between past and present.
Wright’s work invites you to navigate the intricacies of human experience through a contemporary lens. It’s not passive viewing; it’s active engagement.
ART WITH HEART, ART WITH PURPOSE
The Mazlish Gallery’s presence at Aqua Art Fair reaffirms what we already knew: this is a gallery committed to nurturing creativity and supporting emerging talent. John Mazlish hasn’t built a business; he’s built a community. The artists represented here aren’t just names in a roster they’re voices being amplified, talents being championed, perspectives being shared.
John Mazlish’s photography was prominently exhibited at Aqua, situated towards the rear of the gallery, featuring an exquisite collection of nudes that exemplify both artistry and elegance.
In an art world that can feel increasingly driven by hype and speculation, the Mazlish Gallery offers something different: substance. The work on display highlights distinctive voices while celebrating the transformative power of art to connect, challenge, and inspire.
THE ESSENTIAL STOP
As Miami Art Week continues, the Mazlish Gallery stands as an essential destination for anyone seeking to cut through the noise and engage with contemporary art that matters. The collection is engaging, the mission is heartfelt, and the commitment to emerging artists is evident in every carefully chosen piece.
This is the vibrant spirit of Miami’s art community distilled into one gallery presentation. This is what happens when curatorial vision meets genuine passion for the work.
This is art with heart. I am sure MoLove will agree along with everyone at BLVKBOOK. ❤️
THE GALLERINA BRINGS BLVKBOOK TO MIAMI AS EL MAC AND RETNA REUNITE
Miami just delivered the Art Basel we needed. Not just another week of overpriced cocktails and selfies with sculptures this was art at its most electric, most authentic, most alive. And leading the charge? Bella Sophie, BLVKBOOK’s Gallerina from down under, bringing her MOCA pedigree and killer eye for talent to two major fairs simultaneously.
THE REUNION THAT STOPPED EVERYONE
The biggest moment of Art Basel Miami 2025? El Mac x RETNA reuniting after more than a decade for a massive collaborative mural at Goldman Global Arts Gallery inside the Wynwood Walls Museum.
For those who don’t know the history: these two defined an era. In the 2000s and early 2010s, their Los Angeles and Miami collaborations created a visual language that influenced an entire generation of street artists. Mac’s luminous, technically masterful portraits combined with RETNA’s architectural calligraphy created something that transcended street art and entered the realm of fine art.
Seeing them back together in Miami older, more refined, but still carrying that raw creative energy was witnessing art history in real time. The mural reconnects their collaboration to the public spaces where they first made their mark. This isn’t just nostalgia; it’s proof that some artistic partnerships are timeless.
If you only see one thing at Art Basel, make it these murals. It’s everything their fans hoped for and more. Fuckin dope…
THE BLVKBOOK DOUBLE PLAY
While the legends were making headlines, BLVKBOOK was making moves. The Gallerina orchestrated something ambitious: simultaneous shows at both Red Dot Miami, Booth 603 and Context Art Fair, Booth C3, right next door to each other.
Ari Katz (@savagefordesign) is showing at Red Dot with work that’s turning heads and opening wallets. Brayden Bugazzi is holding court at Context with pieces that showcase exactly why he’s one to watch. The proximity strategy is brilliant collectors can flow between both booths and see the depth of BLVKBOOK’s roster.
Ask for Bella at either location. She’s the one connecting the dots between artists and collectors with the kind of precision that only comes from years of gallery experience and an eye for what’s next.
WYNWOOD GETS BEAUTIFUL
@aluckyrabbit brought Betty Boop to Wynwood with a mural that’s already become an Instagram landmark. The neighborhood’s walls have seen legends come through, and this addition proves Wynwood’s creative heartbeat is still pounding strong.
Meanwhile, Eddy Bogaert the undisputed king of Miami’s art scene was doing what he does best: orchestrating the cultural pulse at Rosa Sky and ESME Hotel Miami Beach. These aren’t just parties; they’re where the real deals happen, where collectors and artists connect after the fair floors close. We love Eddy mover, shaker, and the king of Miami. Much respect.
WHEN ART GETS WEIRD (IN THE BEST WAY)
Art Basel Miami Beach continues through December 7, 2025, at the Miami Beach Convention Center, with Red Dot Miami at Mana Wynwood and Context Art Fair running concurrent dates. Shout out to @wynwoodwallsofficial for the amazing photos on their IG
Alec Monopoly brought his signature chaos with “Flying to a Happy Place” full scale Gulfstream and fighter jet sculptures that feel like a monopoly airplane graveyard come to life. It’s bold, brash, and pure Miami energy.
Beeple deployed his robot dogs with tech billionaire faces that photographed visitors and literally defecated NFT prints. At $100,000 each, they sold out immediately. It’s Beeple being Beeple provocative, technically impressive, and just weird enough to get everyone talking.
Peter Tunney presented his final Art Week exhibition at Wynwood Walls with “Small Is Beautiful,” marking the end of a decade defining chapter. His word driven works like “The Time Is Always Now” have been the spiritual heartbeat of Wynwood for years.
And Karen Bystedt stunned with her epic Mickey statue also at context fair with a piece that bridges pop culture nostalgia with contemporary vision. In a week filled with massive installations and celebrity artists, Karen’s work held its own and then some.
Karen Bystedt working on the Mickey Sculpture
THE SCENE IS ALIVE
This is what Art Basel Miami does best: it brings together street art legends reuniting after years apart, rising stars getting their moment, established artists pushing boundaries, and collectors ready to invest in what’s next.
El Mac and RETNA reminded us why they’re legends. BLVKBOOK proved they’re a force to watch. The spectacle delivered. The art mattered.
TONIGHT: THE LOST WARHOLS
Don’t miss thelostwarhols at the Moore kicking off tonight. Karen Bystedt, the Queen of Pop, is showing her street art-filled photography of Andy Warhol rare, intimate shots that capture the icon in ways you’ve never seen. This is the kind of exhibition that becomes part of Art Basel folklore.
Our final artist at basel to check out is Josh Mayhem, he captivates Art Basel with his “Blown Away” sculpture series featuring iconic pop culture figures transformed by cascading strands of vibrant acrylic resin that create the illusion of forms frozen mid explosion. A two time Designer Toy Awards winner, Mayhem bridges nostalgic pop culture and high end contemporary art with gravity defying pieces that command attention among the fair’s elite offerings.
Get to Red Dot Miami, Booth 603 and Context Art Fair, Booth C3 before it’s too late. Ask for Bella. See what Ari Katz and Brayden Bugazzi are bringing to the table. Don’t forget to check out JOSH MAYHEM showing his statues located at Art MiamiDTR Modern booth AM230
And for the love of art, don’t miss that El Mac and RETNA mural.
This is why we come to Miami. This is why Art Basel still matters.
Sometimes you’re just looking for a haircut for your kid, and you end up discovering a hidden gem. That’s exactly what happened to me at The Art Gallery Barber Shop, tucked around the corner from the Grand Central Market.
From the moment you walk in, the black and gold motif and carefully curated artwork make it clear this is no ordinary barbershop. While my son sat for a luxury cut, I couldn’t help but notice a striking Tupac portrait with broken glass, a bold piece by Rob the Original, which adds a powerful, edgy vibe to the space. It’s the perfect fusion of grooming and gallery, where each detail is designed to elevate the experience.
Erick, aka @_CHOLBARBERMX, handled my son’s haircut with incredible precision. Every line, every angle, every detail was executed flawlessly and the results spoke for themselves. While my son enjoyed his luxury cut, I was offered a beer, making the whole experience feel relaxed, personal, and downright enjoyable.
The Art Gallery Barber Shop is more than just a place for a haircut. It’s an experience where style meets culture. The artwork, the atmosphere, the attention to detail everything comes together to create a space where getting a chop feels like attending a private art show.
Shout out to Erick @_CHOLBARBERMX for his craftsmanship, and to Rob the Original for adding that unforgettable visual energy. If you’re in the area, 316 W 3rd Street is a destination worth checking out whether you’re looking for a clean cut, a touch of culture, or both. I was also super curious about their millionaire service, maybe next time I will indulge.
The 2025 LA Auto Show roared with power, innovation, and nostalgia but this year, the real star wasn’t a car. It was the art behind the culture. Leading that charge was OG Slick, the LA icon whose work has defined West Coast aesthetics for decades. His towering LA Mickey Hands and new driving glove statues stood like cultural monoliths inside the custom and lowrider hall reminders that in Los Angeles, cars aren’t just transportation. They’re canvases.
Downstairs, surrounded by candy paint, chrome lacework, murals, and immaculate lowriders, Slick’s sculptures felt like a bridge between street art and street machines. The message was clear: every lowrider, every drift build, every custom is a form of creative expression.
Fast & Furious & the JDM Renaissance: A Shrine to Drift Culture
But the most electrifying artistic expression wasn’t only in the basement, it was in the Fast & Furious and Japanese Imports section, which this year felt like a full blown shrine to JDM culture and drift artistry.
The moment you stepped into the room, the storytelling of Japanese performance culture was on full display including a mocked up Torettos market selling tuna sandwiches with the crust cut off even tho Mia said they were crappy yesterday and crappy the day before and guess what? They are crappy today! No matter, you already know we’ll all have the tuna.
Han’s Silvia “Mona” the orange-and-black icon from Tokyo Drift sat positioned like a museum centerpiece.
Directly beside it: its cinematic rival, the Nissan 350Z, still sinister, still muscular, still carrying the attitude of that legendary mountain showdown.
And anchoring the nostalgia was Brian O’Conner’s R34 Skyline from 2 Fast 2 Furious the silver and blue striped king that introduced an entire generation to Japanese performance engineering.
But it wasn’t just about movie fame. The broader JDM and drift collection read like an anthology of tuner culture:
Widebody Supras polished to liquid shine
RX-7s sculpted like air-flow art experiments
S-chassis drift cars showing battle scars and aerodynamic craft
Skylines that looked as if they just drifted out of Daikoku PA and into the convention center
One of the most unexpectedly beautiful displays was a color mapped chassis, each hue representing a different type of steel. It looked like an anatomy lesson turned modern art installation proof that even a skeleton can be expressive.
You could practically hear the engineers whispering, “Behold our rainbow of tensile strength“
Speaking of pure engineering an LFA tagged up by @Freshon81 tags and type gave the car an unexpectedly cool, and irresistible street art feel that we love.
Shout out to @Freshon81 love the tagged LFA
Every car in the room embodied the art of modding hand built, tuned, sculpted, and refined by creators who treat automotive design the same way painters treat canvas. It was the purest expression of what the Fast & Furious franchise captured at its core: not just racing, but craft, culture, and self-expression through machinery.
Craftsmanship Across Every Floor
The artistry didn’t stop at the film cars and drift legends. This year’s show featured some of the most visually striking modern builds:
The Ford Mustang GTD a carbon-fiber supercar wearing an American badge
The Chevy Corvette ZR1 X all angular aggression and engineering precision
Porsche’s lineup sculpted minimalism fused with performance discipline
Lowriders, Legends & LA Identity
Downstairs, lowrider culture dominated with its unmistakable pride and precision. Chrome glinted. Murals told family stories. Hydraulics lifted cars like dancers mid-performance. And at the center: OG Slick’s statues, merging graffiti sensibilities with automotive soul.
This was Los Angeles distilled art, cars, community, heritage.
Beyond Display: A Show You Can Feel
Outside, Broncos and Jeeps climbed metal mountains while downtown skyscrapers reflected their movements. Test drives looped around the city like temporary circuits. Engines echoed. Crowds swarmed. It was chaotic, interactive, and absolutely LA.
Still, the most important story of the 2025 LA Auto Show wasn’t about power or technology.
It was about creativity. The hands that paint. The minds that design. The builders who imagine machines as moving art.
And standing among lowriders, drift legends, movie icons, and modern masterpieces, OG Slick symbolized exactly that the artist at the heart of a city where car culture is culture.
In my art world experience working closely with artists like Reena Tolentino, I’ve learned to recognize the rare spaces where creativity actually feels alive. BLVKBOOK Gallery is one of those spaces a place where the art world isn’t just displayed, but challenged, reimagined, and rebuilt from the ground up.
“Art Galleries should feel like a doorway not a gatE”
BLVKBOOK Gallery believes the art world is overdue for a shift with a mission to bring back support and excitement for artists. Built within the almost dreamlike ruins of a Forever 21 at the top floor of the renowned Beverly Center. Stepping into BLVKBOOK doesn’t feel like entering a gallery. It feels like stepping into the middle of a massive, ongoing art project an environment charged with discovery.
BLVKBOOK offers a genuine chance to experience some of the most powerful creative voices in Los Angeles from revered names to artists showing their work publicly for the very first time.
BLVKBOOK encourages conversation, questions and exploration without expectation, in a sharp contrast to the traditional gallery experience. Where traditional galleries lean toward austerity, BLVKBOOK leans toward connection. We encourage conversation, questions, and curiosity without expectation. The team guides visitors through the experience, not to sell them art, but to help them understand it the story, the process, the intention.
“Artists who explore identity, memory, mythology, community, and the emotion that shape the world around us.”
BLVKBOOK also offers a variety of services for artists, with membership opportunities with benefits such as use of creative spaces in the gallery, publishing services, and mentorship programs.
Exhibits are designed to create immersion and meaningful art engagement for the art curious, as well as collectors.
BLVKBOOK is committed to democratizing collecting to all. The team offers clarity around pricing, context, provenance, framing, preservation, and long-term collection building. We welcome new collectors with patience, transparency, and education, helping them confidently make their first purchases.
And for collectors especially those stepping into the world of art collecting for the first time. We offer clarity about pricing, context, provenance, framing, preservation, and long-term collection building. We welcome new collectors with patience, education, and transparency, empowering them to buy their first piece with confidence.
At BLVKBOOK, its the experience as much as the artwork itself. We’re here to build a community where creativity is accessible, where curiosity is encouraged, and where the art world feels open again.
Los Angeles isn’t just museums and mega shows — it’s a city where galleries hide in garages, backyards, and laundry rooms. Here are three hidden spaces where culture lives raw and unfiltered.
1. BOZOMAG (Highland Park)
Location: Residential garage in Highland Park Website:bozomag.com
BOZOMAG isn’t your typical gallery — it’s literally a converted garage turned contemporary art space. Nestled in a quiet residential block, it’s the kind of spot you’d miss unless you know someone. And if you’re here, now you do.
Expect bold, outsider-style work with a personal, in-home energy. This is LA’s DIY art scene at its purest — no velvet ropes, just vibes and vision.
“Art that hits different when you’re standing on someone’s driveway.”
Location: A literal laundry room in a Los Feliz duplex Instagram:@quartersgallery
This is not a metaphor — Quarters Gallery is built into a small, tiled laundry space inside a duplex. Somehow, that limitation births creativity. Artists exhibit pieces across detergent shelves, inside washers, even on the floor.
If you’re into hyper-intimate, conceptual spaces where art and daily life crash into each other, this is a must. It’s weird, it’s raw, and it’s exactly what makes LA art magic.
“Where else can you see sculpture next to a spin cycle?”
Founded in an apartment above a 99 Cent Store, Commonwealth and Council has evolved into a vital part of LA’s contemporary art conversation. The space still carries that humble, community-first spirit.
They spotlight artists pushing boundaries, especially voices from underrepresented backgrounds. If you’re building your own creative movement, this is a space to learn from — and support.
These spaces aren’t just about art — they’re about presence, perspective, and being part of something most people scroll past. If you’re in LA, drop in. If you’re not, stay locked in with us — BLVKBOOK is your access point to the realest layers of the city.
🖤 Stay tapped in. More spots coming soon.
→ Sign up for early access to our full Guide to LA Vibe.
