Erni Vales

Way back in the 80s, a very young artist was sneaking out from his home to find his way and his name onto the flanks of NYC subway cars and walls. Then the 90s came and while you partied in the most popular clubs of your era, Erni Vales painted murals, turning the walls of over 300 clubs from NYC to Chicago to Miami into his own personal canvas.

The early 90s Vales found himself in Hollywood where he would paint murals for 2 TV series along with murals on many other notable movies, all the while beginning his collaborations with famed photographer David LaChapelle, creating sets for many celebrities like Madonna and Elton John, Mariah Carey and Eminem. It was while in Hollywood, 1993, that Vales painted his first “3D Graffiti” piece for fun that helped spark a new street art style that continues to inspire artists worldwide.

Currently Vales, no longer a young teen running from the law just to create art, now boasts many enforcement agencies as clients, US Marshals, Interpol and the DEA. As well as an A-list of corporate clients like Chanel, Google, Hard Rock, MLB, Wu-Tang, Def Jam, Pepsi and Nickelodeon among others.

Now, after 4 decades of designs for everyone else Vales has turned back to his main love and passion – his own paintings. In 2010 Vales went out and created 169 paintings in just 13 months and opened his own gallery in Wynwood, Miami. Currently his work is in Museum of Graffiti in Wynwood, in several galleries across Europe and US as well as in many corporate and private collections.