MelonJames

written by Molly Rose

You might say it’s in Melon’s nature to share his art. He went from the edges of the law in Chicago to painting murals commissioned by the city itself. After growing up in his hometown of Chicago, Melon moved to Hawai‘i in 2001, where he embedded himself in the local graffiti and urban art scene. Painting the streets of Hawaii, Chicago, Japan and more with lavish striking blues and turquoise, bold pinks and rich greens, Melon’s unique style is inspired by his surroundings.

Scrawling rooftops and scaling billboards is a dangerous way for a graffiti writer to get noticed. Melon didn’t mind; he liked to climb. He used to hop on the trains moving through his old Chicago neighborhood of Humboldt Park, seeing more of the city beyond his block and drawing inspiration from other artists he met. Searching for something, adventure, maybe. Melon credits graffiti writing with saving him from gang life.

“I truly enjoy the graffiti process,” says Melon. “I especially love letters. I feel like a modern day typographer–I have to analyze a word, break it down and make each letter balance so the word as a whole makes visual sense.”

As he delves further into fine art, Melon draws inspiration from his relationships, both brief and proven with time. His most recent mural in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, is titled Fullhearted—Share Your Love. The lithe figures seem to move both toward and away from each other, intertwined with hearts and ribbons of color. Large, expressive strokes from the spray can trace the walls like a hurried teenager tagging in the night. Painted with only a suggestion of a face, the figures are left open to the viewer’s interpretation. or Melon, it’s also about creating an open-ended story. “Once you put a face on something, it makes it harder to relate to the subject.” Deliberately, Melon declares “My work isn’t just about me; it’s a reflection of everyone around me.”

Check out the footage of this mural on IG