Dubbed by the Washington Post as one of “the best and most respected artists in his field,” Saber, aka Ryan Weston Shook, is one of America’s leading urban artists. Born in California in 1976, Saber begun working as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s, rising to fame at the age of 21, when he created the world’s largest graffiti-mural on the bank of the LA River - so huge that it was documented by satellites in space. Since then, Saber has worked to raise the status of graffiti to a pure art form in public consciousness, and has influenced a generation of artists and graphic designers.
His work is concerned with social reform and often deals with contentious themes. In 2010, Saber filmed himself painting over an image of the American Flag, to widespread controversy: the stunt prompted some to read Saber’s work as a desecration of America’s national symbol. Yet, for Saber, the artwork was a thoughtful contemplation on what it means to be an American citizen, and an attempt to portray the flag as a living, breathing, and changing organism - like every one of the country’s individual subjects.
Today, Saber continues to develop his unique mix of graffiti and fine art from his home in Los Angeles, ever pushing the boundaries of what art should (or shouldn’t) be confined to. His work can be found in public galleries and private collections across the globe.
Dubbed by the Washington Post as one of “the best and most respected artists in his field,” Saber, aka Ryan Weston Shook, is one of America’s leading urban artists. Born in California in 1976, Saber begun working as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s, rising to fame at the age of 21, when he created the world’s largest graffiti-mural on the bank of the LA River - so huge that it was documented by satellites in space. Since then, Saber has worked to raise the status of graffiti to a pure art form in public consciousness, and has influenced a generation of artists and graphic designers.
His work is concerned with social reform and often deals with contentious themes. In 2010, Saber filmed himself painting over an image of the American Flag, to widespread controversy: the stunt prompted some to read Saber’s work as a desecration of America’s national symbol. Yet, for Saber, the artwork was a thoughtful contemplation on what it means to be an American citizen, and an attempt to portray the flag as a living, breathing, and changing organism - like every one of the country’s individual subjects.
Today, Saber continues to develop his unique mix of graffiti and fine art from his home in Los Angeles, ever pushing the boundaries of what art should (or shouldn’t) be confined to. His work can be found in public galleries and private collections across the globe.
