Chromazone Festival, Minnesota’s first & largest public mural & art festival kicks off this weekend. Over the course of the festival 12 large outdoor murals will be created in St Paul’s premier creative hub by 15 mural artists. Cey Adams is one of the Artists featured on the line up for the festival.
Cey, a New York City native, emerged from the downtown graffiti movement to exhibit alongside fellow artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Today his art practice consists of working with mixed media materials to create large collage paintings, works on paper and bright colorful murals. Recent collaboration partners include the Smithsonian, Temple University, IDEO, Apple, Levi’s, Converse, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Foot Locker, YouTube, and Google.
Cey virtually created the East Coast hip hop aesthetic for graphic design.
As the founding creative director for Def Jam, Cey created iconic album covers and artwork for the likes of Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Jay Z, and Mary J. Blige. As a solo artist, he’s shown at places like MoMa.
We checked in with Cey ahead of the festival for a quick update.
Hey Cey, how did you get the chance to be involved with Chroma Zone Festival?
I heard about the mural festival through my friends at Burlesque Design Studio. I love their creative energy. I’m down with anything they’re doing!
Have you had much time in Minnesota before?
I’ve been to Minnesota a few times. Last time I was in Minneapolis was 8 or 9 years ago? My time has been filled with great memories.
Do you have a theme in mind for your mural?
The theme of my mural is all about spreading LOVE. I think about Prince and his music, that’s all I need.
Tell us a little about what you have planned?
I just want to create a beautiful message that makes folks happy. I hope I can get the paint to behave nicely on the wall. Lol…
How do you like to describe your work?
My work takes on many forms. When I’m painting murals outside, I like creating large scale brightly colored LOVE murals. When I’m in the studio, I primarily work with collage materials. A lot of my art is focused on logos and branded messages.
How are you going with your preparation?
I spend a lot of time preparing my design and making sure the wall I’m painting has the correct dimensions.
What excites you most about participating in the festival?
I love meeting new people, and sharing stories about my life and art. I also get a chance to hear other people’s stories and their connection to Graffiti and Street Art. So many people come out to support the artists at these mural festivals, that’s why they’re growing from city to city.
Are there any comments you’d like to add or anything extra you’d like people to know?
I want to thank all the folks Chroma Zone and Ironlak for their support.
Instagram: @ceyadams
Web: ceyadams.com