BiP (artist)

BiP produces work internationally as a large-scale muralist, street artist, and an occasional animator. Because graffiti artists focus on perfecting lettering styles, spreading their brand and other common characteristics of graffiti, BiP does not consider his spray-painting, stenciling, and wheat-pasting to be traditional graffiti. According to BiP, “traditional graffiti writers would be infuriated to hear his work called ‘graffiti’”.[1] Likewise, BiP has claimed publicly that his work is not committed to graffiti for graffiti’s sake but rather, dedicated to a spirit of resistance to skepticism and estrangement, so as to positively change the way people interact with their environment.[2]

In 2011, BiP allowed Kimberly Chow, a 2009 Yale University alumnus and former Yale Daily News reporter, to interview him and witness him in action painting a piece that visualizes the origins to his creative work. According to Chow, the name, "BiP", is a manifesto in response to a theme the artist discovered repeated throughout his deceased childhood friend's journals.[3]

BiP's spray-paint and stencil murals began popping up overnight around New Haven beginning in Oct. 2010. Early in his career, BiP illegally painted buildings and spaces around Yale University in New Haven.[4] One of his highest-profile paintings in New Haven is a large smiling portrait of Anne Frank located outside of Partner's Cafe, a bar on Crown Street, a nightlife district.

During this time, reactions to BiP's work were polarizing. While his illegal work was frequently celebrated by city residents and journalists, city officials condemned his works as acts of vandalism. Abigail Rider, real estate manager for Yale University says:

“Our position on graffiti is that no matter how beautiful it may be (and most of it is far from beautiful) it is an act of vandalism which if not promptly removed sends a signal to people in the area that the owners and residents of the area think it’s not worth it to maintain their property. Graffiti makes people feel unsafe and attracts additional vandalism. The key to controlling graffiti is to remove it quickly and completely.”

— Abigail Rider, New Haven Independent [5]

City spokeswoman of New Haven Elizabeth Benton on "Encurbagement" project of BiP says:

“The City of New Haven and the arts community strongly support public art in a way few communities in the region can match. But murals or stencils on private or City property without permission is vandalism. The City can’t be in the position to support certain acts of vandalism over others based on the interesting nature or attractiveness of the messaging.”

— Elizabeth Benton, New Haven Independent [6]

Despite these reactions, BiP gained a cult following in Connecticut, with news sources such as NBC Connecticut openly speculating BiP's identity and intentions.[7]

In what is confirmed from news articles to be 2013 or 2014, BiP relocated to a permanent residence in San Francisco, California.[8] After re-location, BiP discontinued painting illegally and began to paint gigantic murals with permission. In 2015, BiP completed a 7-story mural in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, depicting a man examining his own heart under a microscope.[9]

The following year, BiP created a 5-story mural in downtown Oakland, California, of an elderly Oakland resident listening to a heavy metal album.[10]

BiP followed this growth with a string of large buildings throughout the Bay Area and by 2018[11] had become synonymous with the West Coast street art revival.[12]

BiP's most well known mural is a 2017 5-story building for the San Francisco Westfield Centre, known as "No Ceiling",[13][14] depicting a young African-American resident with artificially large muscles.[15] In 2018 BiP announced plans to continue with up to ten additional buildings in San Francisco.[16]

Starting in 2015, BiP began to travel aggressively, painting for international museums and public art festivals while maintaining total anonymity. Beginning with an 8-story mural for the Museum of Krasnoyarsk, Russia,[17][18] BiP followed with a tour of South America sponsored by Montana Colors Spraypaint[19][20] as well as a 4-story mural for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei, Taiwan.

Throughout this time, BiP continued to wear a mask that has become synonymous with his public performances.[21]

In an interview with reporter Jonathan Curiel of San Francisco Weekly, BiP reflected on the changes brought on by international success as a young artist.[22]

BiP lists his works on his website.[23]

• Vintage Oakland, California
• Blown Vallejo, California
• Ice Climbers Novosibirsk, Russia
• Warehouse Eye Krasnoyarsk, Russia
• Graffiti Joy Tomsk, Russia
• Money vs. Happiness Novosibirsk, Russia
• Bury Me All You Want Tomsk, Russia
• Self Consuming Self - Dave San Francisco, California
• Alone San Francisco, California
• Satire Kenting, Taiwan
• Fake Plaque Installed on Front of Yale Art Gallery
• 21st Century Lovers Visiting a Forest Detroit, Michigan
• Acid Hand Metro-North Train Line, WHL
• Cemetery with Flowers Krasnoyarsk/Siberia, Russia
• Clock Reading Self-Help Book Bronx, New York
• Roy Lichtenstein is Rolling in His Grave Detroit, Michigan
• Awkward Dreams Shilin, Taiwan
• Dreamer Winchester Factory - New Haven
• Sunflower Fill Detroit, Michigan
• Innocence New Haven
• Antihero Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei
• Suicide Taipei, Taiwan
• Supathug New Haven
• “I will only Work Finance One Year” Yale University classroom
• Note to Self: Cash Paycheck, Call Grandma, Paint That Spot, * Don't Get Arrested Bushwick, Brooklyn
• Brick Doodle New Taipei, Taiwan
• Geronimo Takes His Skull Back Skull & Bones' Temple - Yale University
• Spray-Can Eyes Shilin Night Market, Taiwan
• Not Again New Haven
• Summit New Haven
• Two View, One City New Haven
• Shadow New Haven
• Loverboy Lincoln St. Theater- New Haven
• Eroding Liberty Vallejo, California
• Fake Advertisement: Buy the American Dream Bronx
• Surveillance Yale University
• Diagram Brooklyn
• Taxi Driver Kenting Beach, Taiwan
• Giant Sunglasses Keelung River, Taiwan
• YOLO Winchester Factory - New Haven
• Braille Tag: Vision Beats Sight 50+ New Haven ATM's, Elevators, and Vending Machines.
• Tribute to CT Industrial Unemployment Winchester Factory - New Haven
• Papel Picado New Haven
• Breakthrough Mory's Club - New Haven
• What I thought about When I met You New Haven
• Shennanigans New Haven
• Encurbagement Interactive Map street curbs in New Haven
• Yale - N.U.S. Protest in Steam Tunnel Yale University Steam Tunnels
• Mountain Jumper Hull's Art Supply - New Haven
• Murder Thermometer New Haven
• Safe Cracker New Haven
• All Kinds Yale University
• Lurking Yale University
• September 2010: Boy Posts Lost Dog Flyer. January 2011: Boy Finds Dog New Haven
• Iconography New Haven
• Red Handed Yale University
• Crashing the Yale Masters Thesis Exhibition Yale University School of Art
• Understanding Harvard University
• Sun Wukong Xing Tian Gong, Taiwan
• Off the Deep Bronx
• Getting Paint in Your Eyes Yale University
• Hong Kong Dove Apliu Electronics Market, Hong Kong