Lady Pink

Lady Pink was born in Ecuador, but raised in NYC. In 1979 she started writing graffiti and soon was well known as the only female capable of competing with the boys in the graffiti subculture. Pink painted subway trains from the years 1979-1985. She is considered a cult figure in the hip-hop subculture since the release of the motion picture “Wild Style” in 1982, in which she had a starring role. While still in high school she was already exhibiting paintings in art galleries, and at the age of 21 had her first solo show at the Moore College of Art. As a leading participant in the rise of graffiti-based art, Lady Pink’s canvases have entered important art collections such as those of the Whitney Museum, the MET in New York City, the Brooklyn Museum and the Groningen Museum of Holland. She has established herself in the fine arts world, and her paintings are highly prized by collectors. Lady Pink continues to mature as an artist, producing ambitious murals commissioned for businesses and creating new paintings on canvas that express her unique personal vision. Today she runs a small mural company with her artist husband Smith, creating massive works around New York City, constituting one of the few professional teams to originate from the graffiti subculture. Pink has mobilized artists into donating public art in culturally neglected communities. She also shares her 20 years of experience by holding mural workshops with kids and actively lecturing college students throughout the Northeast.

When I first started, women were still trying to prove themselves,
through the 70’s, that women could do everything guys could do. The feminist movement was growing very strong and as a teenager I think it affected me without me realizing that I was a young feminist. The more guys said “you can’t do that”, the more I had to prove them wrong. I had to hold it up for all my sisters who looked up to me to be brave and courageous and to prove that I could do what guys could do.

We defend our artworks with our fists and our crazy courage. When you have guys that disrespect you you’re gonna have to teach them a lesson, otherwise they are going to keep walking all over you. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is out there, it’s not easy. But it also reflects what the art world in general is: 80% white males. So you have to fight tooth and nail, bitch and scream, be loud and be large to get respect.