Chaz Bojorquez

Chaz Bojorguez is the artist who influenced whole generations of graffiti writers, street artists and tattooists in America and around the world. Bojorquez believes that his art work comes from the soul, and very early on in the 1950's he was submerged in the East Los Angeles Mexican-American style known as 'Cholo' style, 'Cholo' was dictated by an honored code of writing. Allegiance to that code of traditional writing brought you respect.

Chaz Bojorguez went on to study Asian calligraphy in the 1960's mentored by Master Yun Chung Chiang (Master Chiang studied under Pu Ju, brother of the last emperor of China). Chaz went on to take the skills he had learnt about the Chinese form of calligraphy to meld them together with his own roots integrating the 'Cholo' styles he was familiar with to create his own personal style of 'Cholo' graffiti.

The most recognized thing we associate with Chaz Bojorguez is his symbol or 'tag' the personalized skull know as Senor Suerte inpired by Mexican folklore and the cult of Holy Death, this skull went on to be associated among street gangs as the skull was believed to protect you against death.

Bojorguez has recently had a book published THE ART AND LIFE OF CHAZ BOJÓRQUEZ Curated by Marco Klefisch and Alberto Scabbia, this is the first monograph about Chaz Bojorquez and looks to be quite interesting catering for all you art/graffiti and even typography lovers.