Erni Vales

Erni Vales was born in The Bronx in 1965 and spent most of his youth in Lower Manhattan, later moving to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Growing up in one of the country’s most diverse neighborhoods—from Chinatown to Little Italy, alongside Jewish, Black, and Hispanic communities—gave him unlimited artistic inspiration. He attended the High School of Art and Design, where he discovered the graffiti scene and the emerging Hip Hop culture. Vales painted his first subway train around 1983 and joined Graffiti Productions Inc., a group that included artists like Futura, Crash, Daze, and Lady Pink, where he began painting on canvas.
Vales is best known for developing a groundbreaking 3D graffiti style that has influenced countless artists worldwide. In 1993, he became the first graffiti artist to create a faux 3D piece on a wall in LA, changing the game and inspiring a second wave of graffiti culture. His career highlights include painting 70 subway cars in New York City, creating body art for Mariah Carey’s Rainbow album and L’il Kim, and graffitied Eminem’s face for Rolling Stone Magazine. He has designed 15 restaurants and nightclubs, launched his own jewelry line, and released a sold-out watch collection with Invicta.
Represented by Park West Gallery, Vales continues to be a powerful force in both graffiti and commercial art.