HOWNOSM (US)
Twin brothers Raoul and David Perre, respectively known as HOW and NOSM, are graffiti artists and professional muralists residing in New York. Born in the Basque country of San Sebastian, Spain, the Perre brothers were raised in Dusseldorf, Germany practicing the Bronx-born art form of graffiti. Their late teenage years were spent spray painting around the world, visiting more than 60 countries and leaving their remarkably detail oriented artwork on everything from buildings to subway trains. During a visit to New York in 1997, HOW and NOSM were asked to become members of the legendary TATS CRU. Shortly thereafter in 1999, they permanently relocated to New York, a move that influenced their transition from tagging and spray painting trains to creating refined large scale murals and paintings on canvas.
HOW and NOSM have been featured in several publications, including the New York Times, The New Yorker and LA Weekly. Their artwork has been a topic of conversation for the Reverend Al Sharpton, with its controversial undertones of radical subjects manifested within the paintings. As adept with a spray can as only few artists could ever hope to be with a brush, the Perres’ body of work includes everything from canvases and large-scale multimedia sculpture to practically anything they feel compelled to leave their signature on.
While stylized and technical work is often compromised by the use of vibrant colors and flashy effects, How and Nosm have taken an opposite approach. In their most recent work, the brothers have restricted themselves to a sparse color pallet of red, black and white. This limitation of color accentuates every line, creating a framework that jumps to the forefront. The drawings maintain the aesthetic of Jacks, Queens and Kings pulled from a deck of playing cards. The meticulous lines and intricate patterns presented in such a minimalist fashion make How and Nosm’s work instantly recognizable and unique.
www.howandnosm.com
