Street artists unmask the tape covering mouths of passersby, splashing their thoughts onto the bleak walls of city streets. Creating masterpieces through experiences, observation, and reflection, they speak to the hearts of strangers in the midst of day-to-day city chaos.
Anonymous street artist, UnCasso, is one of these few. His arms are tattooed with the works of Banksy, Dali, and Basquiat -- fellow artists who have shared the same mindset as his -- of creating art that is changing the world.
As the founder of the famous "Protect Yo Heart" piece found in major cities all across the nation, UnCasso shares how the quote was formed.
After going through a situation in the film and fashion industry where his art -- the closest thing to his heart -- was taken away from him, he sought to create a new system for himself where he had to become a stronger individual.
"In the midst of that [search], I found different ways for me to be closer to myself -- more self aware," UnCasso said. I would self-study my fingers and my heart. These things made me a stronger person. I began to practice meditation and tried learning about the universe and how close we are to it. At the end of all that, I wanted to have a quote that represented the new me. And "Protect Yo Heart" was the perfect thing because that's exactly what I had to start doing to be in unisense with the universe, the world, and everybody else around me. And I wanted to share that with people."
In 2013, UnCasso traveled to Miami for the Art Basel show and created a large Steve Jobs mural by hand, where he put a "Protect Yo Heart" sign up on a wall for the first time. A year later, Un began leaving his mark in major cities around the country. That was the beginning of what is now a piece recognizable to thousands of individuals across the nation and virtual world.
The purpose of "Protect Yo Heart" and the rest of UnCasso's art is to open people's eyes to the positive aspects of life. His pieces aren't focused on his bad experiences, but how he wants people to get away from their bad experiences.
"I create my art to challenge everyone's perceptions of things that they think are 'bad,'" the artist said. "Someone could be watching the news and feel bad about something that happened -- I want to create something that will take them away from that and make them feel good about life."
UnCasso mentioned that receiving the idea for "Protect Yo Heart" through a meditative zone makes it a spiritual message for him. He said that the concept is embedded in our DNA, a reminder that we often lose sight of.
"People will be running around, getting late to work, and when you run into it... everything that you normally would be thinking that matters in life would not matter no more, because at that moment you start remembering that you as an individual is very important," said Un. "You as an individual controls everything that you do. You as an individual need as much if not more love to keep going, so cherish that. Cherish what's inside your heart. Cherish yourself. People kind of get it. And that's what inspires me to keep doing it, because now I know that my purpose is being felt."
UnCasso's work is now all over the nation, including the cities of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, D.C, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Miami.
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