Zori4 (Crews: KD, OBW, MI, TDS) is a true mistress of the graffiti language. Hailing from the warm tropical island of Puerto Rico, with its colorful sunsets and reggaeton riddums, the island has secretly influenced the New York hip-hop scene since the birth. Zori4 is like no other born-and-bred Puerto Rican first lady; she reigns with original styles that move on the wall and into your mind. She is extremely polite and sweet with a brilliant sense of humor, progressing the standards of the “female graffiti writer” through superior can control.

Zori and I first met after she won the 2002 Pro Am’s Black Book competition in Miami. We wrote back and forth for two years until finally meeting up again in New York to paint at the Harlem graffiti hall of fame in 2004. Afterward she flew to Paris to be part of the Kosmopolite Festival, which gave tribute to female graffiti writers.

After years of dedication and accomplishment (and a long list of press from her graffiti career), she is a sculptor, an honor student and a graphic designer. She reflects on her struggles, stating, “In the beginning it was hard because I was introducing myself into a man’s world, like a girl trying to enter the NBA. They didn’t think I was going to last in graffiti, but I survived.”

Zori’s focus is strictly piecing, which is a term for a graffiti writer whose only focus is on the lettering. She admits, “I honestly don’t paint characters because I want to focus on the pieces. For me, letters are the more important point in graffiti and the characters are the complimentary element. A graffiti wall can be a graffiti wall without characters but not without letters.”

Always with wise words, she encourages originality. “I want to make my pieces strong and to show the feelings I have, to express how I am. To be stable, stylish, with the hidden strength and power our feminine intuition has – our fury inside, the red and fire.”

This was my first live collaboration; uniquely wild. Music, my poetry and Kiki Valdes painting LIVE! I couldn’t focus – I just wanted to watch Kiki.

In his wife beater tee with denim shorts, his athletic body leaned and weaved as he adjusted his glasses, like a mad scientist, while creating a masterpiece, under the watchful eyes of hundreds. Many, like P. Diddy and millions at Callé Ocho Festival 2004, have also been in awe of his painting performance.

Who is Kiki Valdes?
I’m a Cuban-American painter from Miami. Painting is my calling, my passion.

Who’s your strongest female role model?
My mom told me I could be an artist for the world, making me believe in myself in ways I didn’t know was possible.

What are your first memories of hip-hop?
Since the age of 5 I knew what breakdancing was from seeing all the guys in Union City carrying the huge stereos on their shoulders.

How does hip-hop influence your art?
The “in your face” attitude. Hip-hop is restless and I dig that. I wouldn’t say my work is hip-hop; it’s more like a hip-hop dude doing fine art.

What is A Ché Industry?
A painting I did about how the U.S. mass produces images of Ché. I think it’s stupid. That’s not what Ché was about.

Bitches and Hoez?
A piece that explains how men don’t call women bitches and hoes until they get scarred by a woman. The pain then transcends to verbal pain towards woman.

Why 8th Street Music?
8th Street Music is a painting I did for my dad, Humberto Valdes (RIP). He loved that painting. 8th Street celebrates my Cuban-American roots.

Explain painting privately versus painting live.
LIVE I’m painting for the spectator; bringing true art to a party atmosphere. Painting in my studio I’m not freestyle painting. I really develop the piece.

Kiki Valdes will be featured on American Latino TV on UPN in May 2006. Visit www.kikivaldes.com and stay informed about this exciting artist.

Since the beginning of hiphop, there has always been a female presence in graffiti including Barbara, Eva and Charmin. Thanks to Lady Pink, women in the element were brought to the forefront in the ʻ80s. Now, in 2005, there is a slow-burning torch growing into a fierce fire within the circle of writers. Siloette, a painter and illustrator from Los Angeles, is paving new grounds for women bombers.

Subscribe to read more about Siloette and her work.

When it comes to graffiti the women are scarce, yet selective. There is none more versatile as the woman raised in Queens, NYC: Her name is TOOFLY.

TOOFLY’s body of work consists of illustration, fine art painting, collage, graphic design, and fashion. Her ambitious compositions are a combination of stylish female characters, graphic marks, and graffiti tags. An array of imagery, that represents her style and the beauty that lives in urban street culture.

Meca Isa: What is your astrology sign?
TOOFLY: VIRGO, an obsessive and a compulsive organizer! Just kidding!!! But yes, I enjoy organizing everything and anything.

Where are you from?
Ecuador. My family and I came to the states in 85′ I grew up in Corona Queens, New York.

So tell me about yourself and your art background?
I try to live a very balanced life where I can be the artist, daughter, girlfriend, and friend to all those who appreciate and care about me. I love art and graphics and building special collaborative projects with friends and family.

My background as an artist has to start with my early beginnings as an illustrator. I grew up drawing a lot of fantasy art, unicorns, fairy’s and mermaids. I enjoyed looking at a Boris Ballejo and drawing Rougue from the X-Men comic books my uncle had stashed away in his room. I think that She-Ra and Jem after school kept me in tune with girl power. These early influences helped me develop my own girl character in high school. When graffiti became part of me, it was all I needed to enhance and give birth to my own super girl. TOOFLY is the name I was given by one of my cousins who tagged up back in the early 90′s. I drew my character and name on all the black books I came across. People thought I was a guy at first, but it wasn’t until my girls appeared in Stress Magazine that my name and art became one on the page. That’s when everything came together for my work as an illustrator, painter, and designer.

Do you have a theme, message or reoccurring character?
My theme is the urban environment around me and how it’s influences are expressed in my work. By placing my character in this world I am making her part of it and in conjunction they live together in harmony as I do.

When did you start painting with spray paint or your transition?
I picked up a can and marker back in the early 90′s but officially in 92. My cousins tagged up here and there, so I did it too when ever I hung out. It’s that rebellious spirit you get when you1re a teenager. But slowly I began to study the calligraphy styles of graffiti artists on the 7 line, which was the train I took home everyday. I appreciated the street bombing and all city tagging that was going on all over the city. every street became a piece of corner became a piece of art. The energy in graffiti inspired me like nothing else back then. I just concentrated on perfecting my own style of writing and my character grew as I did. When I took graffiti art into my paintings I began to illustrate and tell a story about a culture that gave me the freedom to just be, TOOFLY.

What do you think about the graffiti scene and is it harder as a female to get respect?
The graffiti scene now is art shows, product, and commercial endorsements. There is a lot of opportunity for graffiti influenced artists to make anything and everything. If you have an idea and it’s graffiti related, you have a better chance to make a show, a product, a book, etc.; it’s what’s “in” right now. Like most beautiful and extraordinary things the masses want to consume it. Everyone wants a piece of graffiti. Many are lucky to have caught a bit of its essence before it all became “commercial”. At least we showed society that this negative vandalism has given these street artists a time to shine in books, magazines, clothes, and all kinds of accessories. I think the true spirit of graffiti lied in the subway era, and the street bombers of the early 90′s. That’s just what I think is up with the graff scene from my perspective, as far as getting respect being female…It’s only hard if you don’t put an effort into perfecting your skills! You’ve got to be dope, period. Whatever it is that you do and you do well that will be your strength. You get respect when you truly and honestly earn it.

What is your favorite color? What is your favorite type of paint?
Right now my favorite color is black. My favorite paint is acrylic, house paint and Belton artist spray paint.

Who have you painted with? Do you prefer doing productions with females?
I’ve painted with ACB, these graffiti female artists from Chile, Muck from New York, and Lase, who put me on to the graffiti hall of fame. I also paint with friends and young people who help me on non-graffiti murals for non-for profit organizations. I do prefer painting with females because as a collective we can bring more girl art and walls to the scene.

Any upcoming projects?
The B-Boy Barbecue in June up in Philly, I will be painting one of my characters on a wall. A non-graffiti mural up in the Bronx for CAAAV late June, and the Testosterone Art show, an art battle between males and female artists down the road.

Any other interests or outlets that you use your creativity?
Oh yeah, besides painting and illustrating I really enjoy collaborative graphic design projects with other artists. I am also creating a line of girl T-shirts and styling with different fashion photographers. There’s the street fairs in the summer, and home decorating that soothes my time with friends and family.

How do you feel about the way women are portrayed in Hip Hop?
Right now there is a lot of booty everywhere. I like J-Lo and all her dance skills; she’s fly and is paving the way so I can’t hate. From a visual perspective I think Lil’ Kim, Foxy, Beyonce, Ashanti, all look great with their toned up bodies all over the videos, magazine covers, and commercials. But where are the Lauryn Hills, and where’s Lady Bug man? I miss seeing someone who has a different approach who is dope lyrically, and just as beautiful. Women can be super fly without having to expose themselves so much to get the attention. Hey, there’s always room for a new kind of hip-hop magazine right?

TOOFLY Design

From solo exhibitions to the Lorenzo Di Medici Institute of Art in Italy to live drawings of OkayArtists on the Okayplayer Tour to CD package design for jazz band, The Marcus Strickland Quartet, and jazz pianist Robert Glasper, Andrea Chung is just beginning. Her work combines hip-hop and raw emotion – ranging from personal to eclectic – to produce passionate pieces that speak to the soul, invoking deep thought. And that’s just the beginning. Who said the world had to be ready? Not Andrea Chung.

Unlike many artists, hooking up with this busy lady proved to be a simple task. She seemed open and initially uninterested. Rather matter-of-fact. It all made more sense after the interview. Andrea Chung is just straight forward – no frills, no pretentious artist attitude. Just Andrea.

I read your profile on your website, www.suite17d.com, which states that you “began to develop your own language through paintings…”. Tell me a little bit more about this. How were you introduced to art and painting and at what age?
I’ve been drawing since I was very little. I never really considered the possibility of really going to school for art until I was in high school and I went to a portfolio day. There were representatives from different art schools around the country and they would critique your work and let you know what you should work on to improve your portfolio. I didn’t seriously start painting until my sophomore year in college. I had a wonderful teacher and fell in love with the medium.

Understanding that your parents are of a West Indian background (Trinidadian and Jamaican), how has this influenced your work as an artist?
I don’t know if my parents’ backgrounds have affected my work. If they have, I’m not conscious of it as yet. I haven’t really painted anything about my family. It takes a lot of strength and energy to even begin to dig that deep into your experiences and be willing to let people see something that personal.

Many artists (especially those who go on to become “great”) use their art as an expression – a political, cultural, religious, or spiritual expression, what is your work an expression of?
My work is an expression of me, and who I am.

I’ve noticed that you’ve been involved with the design of several CD packages. Tell me more about this. How do you connect your art to music?
The CDs I’ve designed have been collaborations with friends of mine. I went to college with Marcus Strickland, and Robert Glasper (as well as some other amazing young jazz musicians) We all are trying to get our careers started, so them hiring me to design their CD packages is just a way to help me out, and give each other work. Hip-hop is another form of inspiration for me. It’s a part of my life and a part of what makes me an artist. Its hard to explain. I mean, could you date someone that didn’t like hip-hop? It’s impossible to separate hip hop from who I am. It’s not even a “role” in my work, as it is something unconscious that comes out. I have a deep appreciation for musicians. They can create something that I cannot. They make songs, just like I make pictures. They inspire my pictures. They are what I listen to while I make these pictures. It’s like they find the words to my paintings.

Tell me something crazy, wild or just plain different about Andrea Chung that people are least likely to know?
Ha, I have nothing wild or different to share. I’m as dull as they come.

And lastly, what impression is Andrea Chung trying to make upon the world?… What type of legacy are you interested in leaving on future generations?
I think what’s most important to me is that people walk away learning something through my experiences. Whether they were chaotic mistakes, or small victories, if someone can learn anything good from witnessing my growth process, then I’m happy. If they can walk away feeling that art isn’t this elite thing, then I’m overjoyed.

This article first appeared in B.Informed Magazine.

To view more of Andrea’s work visit her website: http://www.suite17d.com