Sharkbait Print

Born in New York City in 1980, Jemal McClary has been fueled by creative curiosity joined with a big imagination ever since picking up a crayon. Jemal began illustrating as a young child inspired by his love for comic books, japanese animation and the colorful graffiti of the late 80’s and 90’s. In 2009 the artist created a style termed “Shards,” colorful, layered, swirling, sharp shapes reminiscent of broken shards of glass weaved in between tags, drips and texture. His style emerged onto canvases and walls that has come to represent New York’s brand of contemporary graffiti hybrid abstraction. Initially based on a simple concept, Jemal utilized the jagged lines of broken glass to build imagery that is layered with complexities. Layers of tags, collage and his signature shards, culminate to mirror the artist’s layered past. Jemal has been exhibiting his works since 2007 in New York City, the Hamptons and SoHo in solo and group shows. Numerous public murals are on view in New York, Miami’s Art Basel. vThe artist was also featured in Wooster Collective 10th Anniversary Magazine culminating the past 10 years of influential New York City graffiti and street art culture.