In a packed house at The Compound in New York City, artist and Japanese native Dragon76 introduced event-goers to his latest exhibition—and his first in NYC—titled, "Coexist."
Dragon76's art aims to convey the intersection of peace, harmony and defiance while showcasing how proud he is of his Japanese roots and his street art and graffiti influences. The show combines a variety of styles and mediums, including oil paintings and drawings.
Some of Dragon76's work, like his "Samurai Soul" and "Survive" installments, fuse elements of Japanese and anime with hip hop—a feature that rising hip-hop superstar Megan Thee Stallion is a major fan of, thanks in no small part to TV shows like Naruto and My Hero Academia. And the artist injects some vintage NYC graffiti aesthetics into his art as well, meshing it with his own style, and wowing plenty of fans with a large street art mural outside of The Compound.
The Compound co-founder, Set Free Richardson, was in the building to host the exhibition, which was also sponsored by Jagermeister, who provided the audience with cocktails for the evening. Some major names were in attendance including BK the Artist, as well as streetball legends James "Speedy" Williams and Tim "Headache" Gittens of And 1 Mixtape fame.
As Dragon76's stock continues to rise in the world of art and hip-hop, it's clear why his long-awaited NYC debut was worth the wait.
