Jaye and Nilko

Jaye and Nilko are an exceptional duo; these two Parisian artists are the fruit of a singular encounter between two styles and two talents. Together, they unite their work for a unique, innovative, and collaborative style. Street artists as well as contemporary artists, they extend their work to areas of painting, design and fashion. Through the union of their respective styles a new platform for contemporary expression has been laid down.

This duo expands the field of graffiti art to a new dimension, with an honest, down-to-earth, creative and expressive approach. Whether working on a wall, canvas, or on textile and more, their work implies not only the traditional base of graffiti (colors, lettering, “classic” American and European figures), but also a singular aesthetic expression, incorporating peculiar animal and aggressive human figures, design and graphics.

However, what makes these contemporary artists and their works quite spectacular, is the manner in which they have detached themselves from the regular graffiti form to create a new urban art. Jaye adds to the global form; the lettering, the pure colors, while Nilko gives it detail and spontaneous figurative work. From their complementary styles, they transcend the rules of graffiti for a truly conceptual work.

Jaye and Nilko were the first to wheel paint over their own accomplished graffiti works. In various colors, they come back to work over their original composition, giving varied depth and perspectives. Lettering and figurative work are no longer separate: their work meshes together thanks to their various techniques, for an enriched final product; a real work of art in which the spectator can reflect and explore. This gives rise to a visual in which graffiti art goes beyond the wall, and beyond “hipster” urban culture.

Their work has been exhibited by numerous museums and galleries. They have worked on the decor for events such as the French station of the 2005 Eurovision, a live mural for the release of the Tony Hawk American Wasteland video game with the agency Tokyo, and in 2005 they did the decoration for l’atelier DOMUS furniture store and studio, they also worked with Harley-Davidson for the customization of the first “Graffiti Harley”, as well as the Korey Chevrolet V8 wakeboard for the wakeboarding World Co-Champion Pierre Baudry 2006.

Jaye and Nilko can also been seen in high fashion; their creations customized for a limited and individual result. For Benetton they released the summer/winter collections of their sub-label Street Wear Killer Loop in 2004. They also did custom work for Xuly Bet where they worked on a limited series of leather jackets in 2006, among others.

We invite you to discover their universe, and let yourself be seduced by a visual performance…