Cheo

I was born with a pen in my hand (not actually, that would be stupid), from the year dot my mum had to carry paper and pens everywhere instead of a dummy. My first claim to fame (if you can call it that) was winning a competition in the nutty comic to design a baby version of one of the characters. In 1984 I found graffiti through listening to john peel on radio 1 playing hip-hop and my brother drawing old school New York skylines. Many years of break dancing started at about this point where we practiced in my friend VJ’s garage. I spent my weekends dancing outside Iceland in kingwood but moved to outside sainsburys through popularity (cough). We gave this up as a bad idea the day a little old lady was heard to say “Look George they are selling Lino” At some point I came runner up in a blue peter contest, cant even remember what it was for, I got a badge but lost it immediately. My next 5 minutes of fame was when I entered and won an art contest on “Get Fresh”. The prize…appearing on the show and having breakfast cooked for you by Rustie Lee while green gilbert dripped snot on you. Then came “Subway art” or kiddie crack as it was then. Subway Art was reportedly the most stolen art book in the U.S. and abroad. In 1987 won the national graffiti art championships with “Deed” (Scoutleader Deed of parlour talk) National Graffiti art championships .....1987.....1st place The rest seems to be a bit of a blur but I seem to remember a little thing called Operation Anderson happening when myself and 72 other graffiti artists where arrested. I was charged with criminal damage and was given a conditional discharge and told not to do it again. The most galling part of the whole affair was when we saw all our sketchbooks, mags markers………..everything including my tag belt buckle being burnt at the police incinerator site on HTV news. I was gutted. In 1989 Myself and “Inkie” Came second place in the World Graffiti art championships heald in Bridlington. Cheo...and....Inkie..... Bridlington world champ.... 2nd place '1989' After all this happened I gave up the illegal painting but kept painting at the Barton hill dugout (Legally) and somehow ended up on Richard and Judy’s this morning show in 1991 with “Inkie” and “Kato” I faded out of Graff shortly after and we passed the baton on to “BA” (Bad Apples) and the likes of “Soker”, “Tes”, “Kato”, "Lokey" and “Banksy” I am back now (Again Legally) after what seems like forever and am currently doing Graffiti, canvases and Tshirts as well as art work for the BBC and Channel4.