Taki 183 - 50th Anniversary

This framed original artwork by Greek-American legend Taki-183 is a 2-colour screen print on Coventry Rag 290gsm. Each print is uniquely hand spray painted and marker tagged by TAKI 183. Signed & numbered. Edition of 183⁠.

Framed Size: 630mm (w) x 795mm (h)

About the artist:

Graffiti writers around the world know the name that started it all: TAKI 183. A kid from 183rd Street in Washington Heights in northern Manhattan, TAKI's simple signature captured the attention of a reporter and, in the summer of 1971, an article appeared in The New York Times. TAKI was the first New Yorker to become famous for writing graffiti. The floodgates opened.

TAKI 183 was a graffiti tagger active during the late 1960s and early 1970s in New York City. His tag was short for "Dimitraki", an alternative for his Greek birth-name Dimitrios, and the number 183 came from his address on 183rd Street in Washington Heights. He worked as a foot messenger in New York City and would write his nickname around the streets that he frequented.

It was probably one of these tags on the Upper East Side that caught the eye of the New York Times reporter, who tracked TAKI down near his home. On July 21, 1971, TAKI’s fate was sealed: “TAKI 183 Spawns Pen Pals," read the headline of the Times article. Just like that, TAKI 183 became the father of contemporary graffiti. His legend grew, and rumors spread that TAKI even tagged a Secret Service car and the Statue of Liberty. Over the next five years, graffiti exploded to the point where it became a colorful, stylish mural-sized art form. TAKI had no interest in that. He was done with graffiti and had moved on.