Mark Hewko
Palimpsest [8]

Mark Hewko (pronounced: Hev-’ko) is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in contemporary abstract murals. Born and raised in New York City by Ukrainian immigrants, Mark experimented at an early age in both Roman and Cyrillic alphabets during the height of New York’s subway graffiti art movement. Drawing his inspiration from his upbringing, Mark’s signature style combines letter-forms, shapes and color schemes into bold, geometric compositions that burst forth from dull, lifeless walls. He is based in Los Angeles, California.

With this important background and a long-standing interest in traveling to Buenos Aires, the artist joined our residency program within the Palimpsest Project in its 8th edition. In Nova Lingua -the mural that has been incorporated into this project- Mark not only leaves us another testimony of his passion for interventions in walls and public spaces, for architecture and typography, but also interesting dialogues with the already existing murals, especially with those of the KiiK Create (New York-Puerto Rico) and Buck Teeth Girls Club (Canada) collectives that previously existed on the wall.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Mark’s contemporary art roots are derived from his adventures as a New York City graffiti artist in the late 1980s early 90s. In this work, he discovered an ongoing fascination for structure and form, by the connection between language and proportion. He continued exploring these themes as a professional graphic designer and photographer, deepening his work with an evolving appreciation of composition and the ways of seeing.

In seeking to reinvent and reawaken his obsession for form, feeling, and geometry, he has consistently developed new outlets for his creative work. He now channels that through rendering geometric abstractions with conscious intention. In doing so, Mark seeks to transform the familiar into the unfamiliar, while playing with a language of shapes and colors that connects back to his early experiences.

Finally, his abstractions embody a pure, uncontrived expression that is pleasing to the eye and evokes layers of emotion, both uplifting and calming. His objective is that viewers who encounter the artworks will feel an emotional and psychological shift that enhances their environment and state of mind.