T.K. Mills
T.K. Mills is a writer with a passion for travel, art, and literature. This is a showcase of his published works.
Essays & Features
Short Stories & Poems
UP MAGAZINE • 27th November 2019
Check out UP Magazine Issue #2 - Travel & Place, featuring two of my articles; Artists, Expats, and Waves of Change: The Akumal Art Festival 2018 and Chicago Tour: Complexcon, The B-Line, and The Boys
UP MAGAZINE • 2nd October 2019
Spiritual Communication: The Message of JoDo the Bee
JoDo the bee is a communicator – of the power of repetition. Every time the artist goes out and paints, it's like a performance, a ritual intention that manifests into wings and eyes. Graffiti artists are the ones who wonder and wander by night, scrawling their symbols on the city walls. And among the many, JoDo the bee stands out as one of the most iconic tags in New York.
Erin Ko: Space Hippie
T.K. interviews Erin Ko to discuss the influences behind her multimedia art.
Alexandre Tartarin: Skulls, Skills, and the Vanity of Society
Born in 1992, Alexandre Tartarin, is a contemporary French artist who explores the barriers between vanity and modernity. Surrounding himself with concrete, plaster and resin, the artisan artist combines traditional tools with digital, to make up timeless paintings. He adopted a cross-disciplinary approach to creation, experimenting without any constraints, and follow his desires of the moment. T.K. Mills: When did you first start creating art? Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you
The Business of Art: Graffiti Life
Our late-stage capitalist world is oversaturated with companies vying for consumer attention, gambling everything to stand out. The advertisements that do manage this reach beyond a clever tag line. London-based agency, Graffiti Life, paints adverts that speak with character and soul. What began with a couple friends painting bedrooms has grown into a reputable art firm with an exclusive clientele populated by the likes of Google, Microsoft, Adidas, Nike, and Disney. Established in 2010, the Gr
UP MAGAZINE • 21st August 2019
Jorge Gerada: Culture Jamming, Artivism, & Narrative Art
T.K. sits down with Jorge Gerada to discuss his start in the street art world and the themes he incorporates into his work today.
UP MAGAZINE • 17th July 2019
Nate Dee: Miami, Mexico, and Masks
Last Art Basel, T.K. Mills met up with Nate Dee to talk about the evolution of his artistic career, his mask series, and how Miami has transformed in recent years.
UP MAGAZINE • 8th July 2019
J.T. Liss: On Style & Storytelling
To call J.T. just a photographer is to sell it short – he's an educator, an activist, a poet, a father, an artist of the highest caliber, but above all, he's a storyteller.
Well Pleased We Dream • 21st March 2019
Nadia Asencio: Joan of Art
Nadia Asencio is a Cuban-American artist, playwright, and US Army veteran based in Harlem, NYC. Born and raised in Hartford, CT, her unique expression in the visual and performing arts combines elements of her Euro-Caribbean roots with street art, expressionism, pop art, and the abstract to evoke both introspection and social consciousness as it applies to female gender roles and the feminine psyche. She is represented by Saphira & Ventura Gallery, NYC.
SAGA News • 11th March 2019
Each One to Teach One: Teachr
"I am not a peaceful person. I struggle with it. It's my mantra, is what it is. A lot of people think I'm like this peaceful guy all the time, "teach peace" or whatever, and that's not what it's about. It's the imperfection that I am, that I'm constantly striving towards. And I hope other people do the same."
SAGA News • 4th March 2019
LA Style: Dirt Cobain & Friends at the Mayfair Hotel
'Dirt Cobain & Friends' featured a round-up of LA's top street artists. The pop-up show was on display at Regime Contemporary, inside the historic Mayfair Hotel.
SAGA News • 25th February 2019
The Street Preacher: Plastic Jesus [California Summer Series]
A Q&A with Plastic Jesus, as part of the California Summer series. The artist talked with us about stirring up controversy, celebrity culture, and the ethics of street art.
U Get Me So High: Dirt Cobain
From Los Angeles to New York and everywhere in between, Dirt Cobain is popping up and rocking murals. From the origin of his iconic pill bottle to a show at the Mayfair Hotel, read now to learn the story of street art's fastest rising stars.
The Smart Set • 11th February 2019
"The guidebook says there're two road trips we could do, The Golden Circle or The Ring Road. The Golden Circle covers most of the big tourist spots like the Blue Lagoon, but that route only covers the south-west. I want to drive the Ring Road, which circles the whole country. I want to see all of Iceland."
I See You: Padhia on Learning to Unfuk Yourself, Using Art as an Outlet, and Being Who you were Before the Stuff that Dimmed Your Shine [California Summer Series]
In part two of the California Summer series, TK Mills talks with Padhia, the creator of Unfuk Yourself – a philsophy, an art style, and an identity. Unfuk Yourself is not easily described. An ethos that fluctuates between punk-rock rebellion and deep meditative self-reflections, Unfuk Yourself began in 2012 as a blog and grew into a viral trend, a brand, a philosophy, an art style, and an identity – or in the words Padhia, the creator: "It's about the triumph of the human spirit and what we're actually capable of, if we have the right perspectives and hope."
SAGA News • 4th February 2019
The Search for a Street Rebel : 2+2=5?
In January 2017, TK Mills went flew down to Cuba to avoid America's political maelstrom. What he found was a graffiti mystery, as he set off on a search for a street rebel.
Eternal Remedy • 28th January 2019
The Rogue ·
A storm warning crackled on the radio. I tried to listen, but it cut in and out of white noise. I slammed my hand on the dash. It didn't help – the speakers were shot. The Rogue, my faithful highway companion, was beat. Not even five-years old, the car had mileage. I let the static be. I didn't need a warning. I could see the dark clouds on the Kansas horizon. 'The Wraith,' 'Blue Bullet,' 'Teardrop,' – names my high school friends gave it. Nothing stuck quite like 'The Rogue.'
SAGA News • 28th January 2019
Chaos & Grace: Thrashbird on the State of Street Art, Billboard Takeovers, and Doing Illegal Shit
A Q&A with Los Angeles' most infamous street artist, Thrashbird. The discussion covers everything from social media ruining art to the story of his first billboard takeover. "Basically, I want to leave people with one thing. If you're getting into street art, and your sole purpose, your dominant priority, is to sell art work… then get the fuck out. If you want to be a street artist… you'd better get outside and do some illegal shit."
SAGA Street Art • 22nd January 2019
A Cheeky Rebel: Benjamin Irritant
An interview with Benjamin Irritant, a London-based artist whose wheatpastes resemble crafty propaganda posters. Using clever imagery and wordplay, Irritant tackles themes of anti-consumerism, individuality, and working class struggles.
Well Pleased We Dream • 14th December 2018
A Storm in Staten Island's Artist Alley: Climate Change Ain't Nothin' to Mess With
One mural in particular has taken the world by storm. 'Climate Change Ain't Nothing to Mess With' went viral across the internet for its image of a weather advisory, warning of impending hurricane Wu. Designed by Staten artist Cody Prez and curated by Tariq Zaid of RHC, the mural is part of a community initiative to raise awareness around social issues and Staten's art scene.
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