Vertical Project Space presents ‘Trust,’ a solo exhibit featuring new work from Nikko Locander, a.k.a. Ali Six, the Chicago-based multimedia artist and graffiti writer celebrated for his signature creation Richie the Raccoon.
‘Trust,’ which runs June 19-July 25 at our Project Space West Town location (2006 W. Chicago Ave. #1R — enter via the alley off Damen Ave.), assembles dozens of pieces presented across a diverse range of mediums: sculptures, wood cutouts, skate decks, mirrors, found materials, even handwoven decorative rugs.
'Trust’ draws heavily on personal experiences throughout Ali Six's life, from childhood to adulthood, and makes frequent visual references to apples — for centuries, a symbol of trust playing vital roles in tales from Adam and Eve to Sir Isaac Newton's discovery of the law of gravity, as well as a traditional gift from a student to a teacher to cement their relationship. Ali Six hopes that each viewer will reminisce on their own personal experiences within this body of work, or pause to contemplate what trust truly represents.
The self-taught Ali Six honed his craft by scaling hundreds of Chicago buildings as a graffiti artist, learning color theory and typography among other skills. His love of old cartoons inspired the creation of Richie the Raccoon: "I felt a raccoon best symbolized the night culture of graffiti,” Ali Six says. “Raccoons are nocturnal, and while everyone is asleep, graffiti artists are awake, creating masterpieces."
