Growing up in New York City’s emerging uptown neighborhood of Washington Heights to Dominican immigrant parents, M. Tony Peralta was seemingly born a child of the hip-hop generation. As a teenager, his eye shifted to graffiti and the work of New York downtown artist Keith Haring. At age 17, Peralta transferred his own artwork onto t-shirts, which he sold in his neighborhood. Years later, the 35-year-old artist/graphic designer is still pushing t-shirts but to a broader audience.
You may not know it, but you’ve seen Peralta’s t-shirts and prints in television shows like How to Make it in America and blockbuster films like The Hangover 2. More recently the artist saw his latest exhibition Complejo open to a crowd of 200+ in Miami during this year’s Art Basel. Using clever typography and graphic choices the exhibition was an exploration into what it means to be “latino and black.” Take a closer look at more images from the opening below.
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GREATeclectic aka Kendrick Daye is a DJ, artist and the Editor of Art Nouveau Magazine. As a freelance journalist and photographer his work has been featured in the NY Times Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Creative Loafing, Honeymag.com & Yo-Raps.com.
