The undisputed “Godfather of Street Art”, Richard Hambleton was born in Vancouver in 1952. From 1976 to 1978 Hambleton painted a police “chalk” outline around bodies of volunteer “homicide victims.” In 1979 Hambleton moved permanently to the Lower East Side of New York. In the early 80’s Hambleton was more famous and his artwork more sought after than his contemporaries - Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It was in New York that he gained notoriety for his “Shadowman” paintings. Hambleton went on to produce a variation of his “shadow” work, showing his “Shadowman” as a sort of “rodeo man”, or rugged “Marlboro Man”, often riding a bucking horse. He then produced a series of pieces titled “Beautiful Paintings.” With strong use of color, these pieces are very different to his “shadow” work. Thrust back in the limelight thanks to attention from Armani, Phillips Gallery and now Amazon who have secured the rights to Shadowman - The Film. While Basquiat and Haring became victims of the scene, Hambleton survived and disappeared until the last 10 years brought back a ghost. The last living member of the Downtown Street Art Kings… The artist who shaped a culture, Richard Hambleton will forever be The Shadowman... Hambleton passed away on October 29th, 2017.