Archives: Artists

Kelly “RISK” Graval has collaborated with an impressive roster of creative talents, from Michael Jackson and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s legendary lyricist. Known as the Godfather of the West Coast graffiti art movement, RISK made history as the first Los Angeles-based artist to paint subway cars in New York City. During his peak years painting overpasses, billboards, and public transportation, he transitioned to canvas, launching a wildly successful career that now spans two decades.

Today, RISK is recognized as one of the most important contemporary artists of our time, represented by Park West Gallery. His work has been exhibited internationally from Los Angeles to London and Toronto to Tokyo. In 2018, his “Face Your Fears” series was a standout at the LA Art Fair. Beyond his vivid urban canvases, RISK has expanded into elaborate sculptures and neon series that have earned praise in New York and Los Angeles. He even painted the legendary Whisky A Go Go inside and out to celebrate an Aerosmith and Slash tour in 2014.

Sustainability anchors RISK’s artistic practice. He repurposes materials like spray cans, bottles, and license plates—what he calls “metallic tissue”—creating profound works through complex techniques. Nothing in his studio goes to waste, embodying a thoroughly modern approach to art-making.

Paul Lotz creates bronze sculptures that invite viewers to lean in and discover hidden stories. His “Whimsical Worlds” blend classical bronze patina with unexpected narratives—a monkey bartender with a tiny fly hidden nearby, a white rabbit inspired by Jefferson Airplane, or Dr. Doolittle built from four interlocking pieces. Each sculpture carries playful details and often comes with a poem or story Lotz writes to reveal the deeper meaning behind the whimsy.

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Lotz knew from age three he wanted to be an artist. He studied at Tyler School of Art at Temple University and spent time in Rome, where Renaissance art and storytelling shaped his classical foundation. When audiences found his traditional figures pleasant but unremarkable, he shifted toward the whimsical fantasy that defines his work today. After a devastating ceramic collapse nearly ended his sculpting career, a chance encounter led him to bronze—a medium he’s worked in ever since, using the same mysterious clay for over twelve years.

Each original sculpture takes three to four months and involves about fifteen artisans at a Mexican foundry dedicated to realizing Lotz’s vision. The artist is represented by Park West Gallery, where collectors can discover sculptures that blend dignity with delight, inviting them to stay awhile and enjoy the joke.

Artnwordz creates thought-provoking art that blends history and pop culture, using dictionary pages that are 80 to 150 years old as their canvas. The creative force behind Artnwordz is the husband-and-wife team of Micha Kuechenhoff and Grant Rosen, who carefully match the words on each page to their artistic concepts before painting. Their clever titles complete the narrative—a pop art painting of young Queen Elizabeth wearing boxing gloves becomes fully realized when viewers see the title, “The British Pound.”

Micha was born in Germany into an artistic family and studied art before becoming a successful jewelry designer in California with several celebrity clients. Grant, a natural entertainer with a vivid imagination, pursued his passion for musical theater against his parents’ wishes, becoming a Broadway performer who excelled at multitasking and often painted backstage theater walls. Together, they combine Grant’s love of words and imagination with Micha’s artistic precision to create their distinctive multimedia art form.

After making their first sale in a La Jolla flower shop, Artnwordz quickly gained recognition at art shows nationwide. Their work has been collected by notable figures including Snoop Dogg, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Howie Mandel. The artists, who are represented by Park West Gallery, have earned numerous honors including 2023 First Place Mixed Media 2D at The Beverly Hills Art Show and 2025 Best of Show at the RTIA Reno Tahoe International Fine Art Show.

Andrew “Andy.P” Phillips creates explosive paintings bursting with movement, color, and light using spray paint, acrylics, and house paint. He transforms realistic subjects—animals, rustic cottages, and contemplative astronauts—into vibrant celebrations of freedom and inner joy. His signature technique layers colors in unexpected ways, turning a blue jay or goldfish into a shimmering spectacle that simply pops off the canvas.

Born with what he calls an obsession for art, Andy.P struggled in traditional school settings because drawing consumed his attention. He built his first business in middle and high school, creating portraits for classmates and earning money through word-of-mouth demand. After studying at the Digital Media Arts College in Boca Raton, Florida, he applied his graphic design training to develop his distinctive style, which begins with spray paint undertones, builds texture through scraped acrylics, and finishes with his signature splatter technique and glowing halos.

For Andy.P, the glow surrounding each subject represents everyone’s inner light—the special something that makes each person unique. He often hides happy faces throughout his paintings, delighting viewers who discover them. Whether depicting the freedom of animals or the peaceful retreat of a woodland cottage, his work invites viewers to reconnect with joy and wonder. Andy.P is represented by Park West Gallery, where collectors embrace his vibrant vision of life’s simple pleasures.

Yaacov Agam, a world-renowned kinetic artist represented by Park West Gallery, pioneered a revolutionary form of art that contemplates progress, time, and the role of the viewer. Born in 1928 in Rishon LeZion, Israel, to an Orthodox family, Agam studied at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem before moving to Zurich, Switzerland in 1949. There he studied color theory under Johannes Itten and Max Bill, and took courses at ETH Zurich University, where architecture critic Sigfried Giedion inspired him to transform the concept of static paintings.

After moving to Paris in 1951, Agam held his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Craven in 1953, quickly gaining fame for his innovative approach that encouraged spectators to participate in art. He established himself as a pioneer of the kinetic art movement, experimenting with diverse media including painting, sculpture, spatial installation, and digital technology. In 1971, he created the groundbreaking “Agamograph,” which uses a lenticular lens to cause imagery to change when viewed from different angles.

Agam’s nonrepresentational style integrates formalist art with Kabbalah, relying on geometric shapes, sculpted lines, and bright colors rather than figurative imagery. His works are in permanent collections at major museums worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. In 2010, he became the highest-selling living Israeli artist when his artwork “Growth” sold for $698,000 at auction.

Allison Lefcort has earned the title “The Princess of Pop” and is recognized as the heir apparent to the Pop Art throne. Not since Andy Warhol has a single artist made such a global impact on the movement. Named an “Artist to Watch” by Art Business News, she has created work for The Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, MTV, VH1, The Grammys, and Playboy, with her art featured on hit shows including The Girls Next Door, The Apprentice, and The Today Show.

A self-described “star-gazer” who has painted since early childhood, Lefcort held her first exhibition at The Greenwich Village Art Gallery in New York City at age seventeen. By twenty-six, she had become widely collected for her unique style. In 1996, she was commissioned to create a portrait of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, presented during the Women’s Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee. She also painted a portrait of their Royal Highnesses, the King and Queen of Jordan, which was featured in a Katie Couric interview with Queen Noor on The Today Show.

During the 1990s, Lefcort began long associations with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Studios, receiving rights to paint their iconic characters in her interpretive style. She has also painted recipients of The Grammys’ annual Humanitarian Award, including Sting, Phil Collins, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, and Stevie Wonder. These portraits hang in the offices of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. Lefcort is represented by Park West Gallery.