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Regional | Arts

Young graffiti artist goes from shadows to success

As a youngster Amazon Hubbard considered the street walls as his canvas, now the graffiti artist has been given an opportunity to join internationally renowned artists at this year's Sea Walls: Murals for oceans festival in Napier.

After painting in the shadows for many years, Hubbard is now able to express his art freely.

"I started off as doing it where I'm not allowed to do it tagging on fences and public property but I want to turn it around I don't want to be going to jail for art."

His talent was spotted by artist and mentor Ren Hardgrave.

"He was a younger version of me, tagging under bridges, on alleyways and getting his name out that way."

Now he's been invited to share his artwork at the Sea Walls: Murals for oceans festival alongside other international artists.

Hubbard says, “My piece here is all about eco-tourism. As you can see I've done the blues for the sea and different colours and stuff. Yeah, it's about being eco-friendly. Gotta look after our ocean."

Hardgrave says graffiti art is misunderstood, “Art is still art. People may not see a tag as art but for the artist himself he's conveying a message we don't know that message but we tend to judge that quite strongly and harshly."

Hargrave sees the healing benefits of painting for Amazon, he wants to give the same opportunity for other youth looking for a platform to express.

"What I’m all about is art, I love art I've always been painting since I was little and drawing at the moment I’m at corrections working with youth and teaching them how to paint large scale murals."

Hubbard and Hargrave work with community youth groups on clean-up projects covering some of the graffiti around the town. They will be in the community displaying their art over the next couple of days.