Pest5

Representing TMD and LORDS crews, New Zealand’s PEST5 has painted in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, England, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Thailand, China, the Cook Islands, Hawaii, Oregon, Miami and California.

PEST5 was the first graffiti artist from Christchurch, New Zealand, to turn his skills into an art career. He was active in all aspects of hip-hop culture in the late 1990’s, also dabbling in commissioned work and organising hip-hop events. After meeting LOOMIT from Germany in 2000, he was encouraged to travel Europe where he learned the technicalities of spray can mural painting and business entrepreneurship.

Migrating to Auckland in 2002, he teamed up with ASKEW ONE to form a business in professional graffiti art and hip-hop entertainment. Following the disbanding of the company and several years of personal development through travel, parenting, Kung Fu training and a spiritual awakening, he refocused and re-branded himself as “Jonny 4Higher”, and has since established himself as Aotearoa’s most prolific mural painter, bar none.

He continues to work full-time as a mural painter while continuing to bomb walls with fresh burners throughout his country, and beyond.