Abdullah Ahmed Khan (, born 1990),Qamar, Saadia (30 July 2012), Sanki King's graffiti knows no boundaries , The Express Tribune. professionally known as Sanki King, is a Pakistani graffiti, calligraffiti and street artist based in Karachi. He also works in sticker art, b-boying and parkour.
Early life Sanki King was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where his father worked at the Islamic Development Bank, and was raised in Karachi, Pakistan.Ahmed, Talha (22 January 2014), 'SANKI' COLORS IT ALL: THE FIRST GRAFFITI ARTIST OF PAKISTAN , Youlin Magazine.
Career While playing Counter-Strike as a teenager, another player described him as sanki — an Urdu word meaning eccentric or slightly mad — and he adopted it as his moniker.Nasir Ahmad, Fouzia (22 December 2013), Don't call me Banksy , Dawn. In 2008, he was photographed by Tapu Javeri while freerunning in a park in Karachi, and subsequently performed at the launch of Style 360.Subzwari, Shanzay (May 2015), Sanki King: The Graffiti Artist Mastermind , ArtNow Magazine. From 2011, he began selling artwork and painting commissioned murals.
Graffiti
In July 2012, King performed live graffiti art and launched a Sticker Art Movement featuring designs of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. In December 2012, he was selected as a judge for a nationwide graffiti competition held across seven cities.Staff Reporter (23 December 2012), Tetra Pak Graffiti Competition, The Nation. His works include Love Karachi, painted on a bus, and Flying Kiss, painted outside the Arts Council of Pakistan in 2013.Varma, Nandini (25 May 2014), Graffiti artist brings hip hop to the streets , Campus Diaries. In 2014, he painted a large-scale mural at the Valika Cricket Ground, University of Karachi. In June 2016, he held his first solo exhibition, You Should Know Him By Now, at the Sanat Gallery in Clifton, Karachi.A Correspondent (9 June 2016), Word on the street: Bringing graffiti art into mainstream , The Express Tribune.Khan, Nimra (10 June 2016), Pakistan's First Serious Graffiti Artist Sanki King Enters The Art World With His First Exhibit , Dawn.
King is the only Pakistani artist to have been invited to join the graffiti crews Beyond Mankind Krew (BMK, founded 1991, Queens, New York City) and Experienced Vandals (Ex-Vandals, founded 1979, Brooklyn). His work is featured in Nicholas Ganz's book Street Messages, published in April 2015.Qamar, Saadia (17 April 2015), From shadowy times to vivid walls , The Express Tribune.
In 2017, he collaborated with Mumbai-based artist Zeenat Kulavoor on Pehle Aap, an Urdu calligraphic conversation project. He also participated in Karachi Biennale 2017 with the work Mind Palace.
Gallery art An original abstract work by King was included in a group exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi from February to June 2021.
Fashion collaborations In 2014, King collaborated with designer brand Zeb-Tan. He subsequently worked with The House of Arsalan Iqbal on the collection Desirably Distressed, released in March 2015.Desirably Distressed, Issue 81, page 54. 22 March 2015 , Paperazzi Magazine. A further collection, Devolution Chic, incorporating his designs in footwear and jewellery, was presented at the 8th PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in April 2015.Press Release (22 April 2015), PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week: Day-4 Journal , Pakistan Today.Fayyaz, Yousaf (21 April 2015), House of Arslan Iqbal At PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2015 , Ebuzz Today.
B-boying and parkour In 2008, King founded a b-boying crew in Karachi, which organised as Unknown Crew (UC) in 2010. The crew has performed for Jaag TV, HP Inc, Caltex, Play TV and the Lux Style Awards, among others.A Correspondent (30 June 2015), Multi-talented Pakistani Street Artist 'Sanki King' , House of Pakistan.
See also List of street artists
References
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