Dave the Chimp
* year and place of birth unknown
* graffiti, film, design
As told by the artist himself, Dave the Chimp hatched from an egg one day and has to this day been able to separate his artistic alter ego from the person behind it. Shrouded in anonymity, he – as one of the most versatile active players at present – travels to cities like London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Milan, or Barcelona and continues to emulate, despite successful exhibitions in renowned galleries and museums, his roots: metropolitan streets. Dave the Chimp has never come to tire of exploring public space on a skateboard under the cover of a host of different secret identities (such as “ape”), downright bombarding his surroundings with his motifs and images. A recognition effect can surely be noted with his characters: a depressed ape, a robot, or oversized tentacles that spread like wildfire across walls and entire street blocs. By the way, Dave the Chimp is likely equally recognizable for his extremely sarcastic humor and disarming answers during interviews.
But the appeal of Dave the Chimp is by no means exhausted by the design and application of wall paintings: along with the production of films, videos, and clips, the cofounder of the legendary Finders Keepers Crew is also active as graphic designer (including for MTV or for musicians like Led Zeppelin, Robots in Disguise), as designer of magazines and sneakers, and also as initiator of the 243rd Skateboarding Support Battalion.
