Shok-1 paints what lies beneath the surface, using freehand spray paint to render glowing x-ray images with no tape or stencils.
Working since the early 1980s, he was among the first European artists to take up American graffiti culture and has spent more than 30 years refining a single, highly technical style.
His subjects include human figures, animals and everyday objects, all rendered as if lit from within. Before turning to art full time in 1993, Shok-1 trained as a chemist. He describes his x-ray practice as a way of championing science and rational thought.
Working since the early 1980s, he was among the first European artists to take up American graffiti culture and has spent more than 30 years refining a single, highly technical style.
His subjects include human figures, animals and everyday objects, all rendered as if lit from within. Before turning to art full time in 1993, Shok-1 trained as a chemist. He describes his x-ray practice as a way of championing science and rational thought.
Summary
Shok-1 paints what lies beneath the surface, using freehand spray paint to render glowing x-ray images with no tape or stencils.
Working since the early 1980s, he was among the first European artists to take up American graffiti culture and has spent more than 30 years refining a single, highly technical style.
His subjects include human figures, animals and everyday objects, all rendered as if lit from within. Before turning to art full time in 1993, Shok-1 trained as a chemist. He describes his x-ray practice as a way of championing science and rational thought.
Working since the early 1980s, he was among the first European artists to take up American graffiti culture and has spent more than 30 years refining a single, highly technical style.
His subjects include human figures, animals and everyday objects, all rendered as if lit from within. Before turning to art full time in 1993, Shok-1 trained as a chemist. He describes his x-ray practice as a way of championing science and rational thought.
Artworks by Shok-1
About Shok-1
Biography
About Shok-1
Shok-1 began spray painting on the street in 1983. He holds a degree in Applied Chemistry, which he combined for years with work as a social worker before committing to art full time in 1993.
Perfecting the x-ray
Shok-1 developed his signature x-ray style in the late 1990s, using a freehand spray technique rather than stencils to build translucent, glowing images layer by layer. Each piece shows bone, muscle and organ structure using nothing but aerosol paint and a steady hand. His work has drawn attention from radiologists and scientists, as well as street art collectors, a crossover he has actively encouraged as part of his wider defence of scientific rationalism.
Screenprints that sell out fast
Shok-1's print editions, largely screenprints and giclée prints, have developed a reputation for selling out within minutes of release.
His 2018 print, Thorns, was produced as a nine layer silkscreen with the print studio, Goldmark Atelier. A 2023 print, Masterpeace, marked his first release in etching, based on a 2017 mural on London's Brick Lane. He has worked with the Detroit publisher 1xRUN and street art print house, Pictures on Walls. He continues to paint murals internationally, including at Wynwood Walls in Miami.
Biography
About Shok-1
Shok-1 began spray painting on the street in 1983. He holds a degree in Applied Chemistry, which he combined for years with work as a social worker before committing to art full time in 1993.
Perfecting the x-ray
Shok-1 developed his signature x-ray style in the late 1990s, using a freehand spray technique rather than stencils to build translucent, glowing images layer by layer. Each piece shows bone, muscle and organ structure using nothing but aerosol paint and a steady hand. His work has drawn attention from radiologists and scientists, as well as street art collectors, a crossover he has actively encouraged as part of his wider defence of scientific rationalism.
Screenprints that sell out fast
Shok-1's print editions, largely screenprints and giclée prints, have developed a reputation for selling out within minutes of release.
His 2018 print, Thorns, was produced as a nine layer silkscreen with the print studio, Goldmark Atelier. A 2023 print, Masterpeace, marked his first release in etching, based on a 2017 mural on London's Brick Lane. He has worked with the Detroit publisher 1xRUN and street art print house, Pictures on Walls. He continues to paint murals internationally, including at Wynwood Walls in Miami.