Kelly Graval Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1967 -

RISK, born Kelly Graval, is one of the biggest names in the street art and graffiti scene in the United States. The length of RISK’s career spans over 30 years of his intense dedication to spray paint. He made a strong impact on the evolution of graffiti as an art form in Los Angeles and worldwide by pushing the boundaries of graffiti with his unique letterforms. He was one of the first writers in Southern California to paint freight trains, and he pioneered writing on freeway overpasses. At the peak of his success, RISK has organized the Third Rail series of art shows.

RISK was born in Louisiana in the late 60s but grew up in L.A. Even as a kid, he filled sketchbook after sketchbook with his unusual letters and images. In 1983, RISK enrolled at University High School on the L.A.’s West Side and immediately made the school walls his personal canvas, as he started tagging his name everywhere. No matter his rebellious behavior, RISK was one of seven high school students who received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Pasadena Art Institute. Later on, he decided to study fine art at USC. He started becoming recognized in the street art world in the mid-1980s, when he founded a graffiti crew called WCA aka West Coast Artists, together with a fellow artist RIVAL. They have made a couple of graffiti writing trips along the West Coast, including Bum Rush, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Hitting Metal tours.