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THE MESA TRIBUNE | JULY 18, 2021
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EV artist brightens the world with a brush BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor
J
. Pierce sits on the sofa of his Gilbert home donning black pants, a playful Lolo’s Chicken and Waf�les T-shirt he designed and colorful shoes that pop. The cream-colored walls are bare, which is surprising for the proli�ic artist who has sold his Keith Haring-like artwork to likes of rapper Rick Ross and the Arizona Coyotes president and chief executive of�icer Xavier Gutierrez. “Anytime I put up artwork, I always end up selling it,” Pierce said with a shrug. He’s working on T-shirts for Monroe’s Hot Chicken, which is owned by Lolo’s. Pierce is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. Besides his work for Ross and Gutierrez, Pierce designed T-shirts for Samuel Jackson, and artwork for former professional baseball player Howie Kendrick, who lives in Phoenix. Pierce’s work, particularly for Jackson, led to mentions on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “It was cool when Jimmy Kimmel gave me a shout out,” Pierce said with his trademark wide smile. “He said I was an Arizona artist. There are always California artists, New York or Miami artists, Chicago artists. It’s cool to represent Arizona. “It’s been awesome, man. I originally started out doing art walks, like the Chandler Art Walk, and selling my paintings, right, for $20 or $40. Now I’m seeing my artwork sell for hundreds and thousands.” As a child, Pierce split his time between California and Chicago after his parents separated. He attended high school and college in San Jose. In Chicago, he lived in the “hood,” as he calls it, where he learned to hustle and paint T-shirts for gangsters. “I never messed around in that (gang life), but I was always protected,” he said. “They liked me because I skateboarded and lived in the hood in Chicago. “But there would be barbecues every other day with my family. So, I would be in Chicago, going Downtown and being in
me through those times in foster care.” He moved to Anthem at age 18 and worked at Outlet at Anthem stores like Docker’s, Quicksilver and Columbia Sportswear. Besides participating in the Chandler Art Walk, he was part of the jury. “I had a business partner who I was working with in Anthem,” Pierce said. “He was a business partner and investor who was going to help me get my brand and my art to the next level. Nothing really panned out and we parted ways.” He stayed in the Valley, however. He moved to Gilbert in 2008. Pierce has collaboJ. Pierce is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. He discovered penrated with a slew of ciling and sketching at age 15, when he was in foster care as his local businesses, resparents were going through “tough times.” (Courtesy of J. Pierce) taurants and organizathe city. Then, living in San Jose, it had the tions. He encourages his clients to share whole Cali vibe.” their art direction and he takes it from He discovered penciling and sketching there. at age 15, when he was in foster care as his “We created a limited edition shirt that parents were going through “tough times,” can be purchased at any of the Lolo’s he said. They went their own ways and Chicken and Waf�les stores,” he said. “It’s Pierce spent two years in foster care. He, in pretty cool because I’ve never collaboturn, basically emancipated soon thereafter. rated with a restaurant. And to see the “In high school, I started painting cus- staff walking around with my shirt and my tom clothing — like painting on shoes, name on it, it was so cool.” shirts and dress shirts,” Pierce said. “I’d When the Arizona Coyotes hosted Hockey wear it to school and all my friends asked Fights Cancer night on April 19, he created where I found the stuff. It led to painting a special sneaker for several players — Capon canvases.” tain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakob ChychIn high school, he was inspired to start run, Clayton Keller and Jordan Oesterle — his own brand by LRG owner Jonas Bev- to share how cancer touched their lives. acqua, who died of natural causes in 2011. The shoes were auctioned to raise mon“He was one of the biggest streetwear ey for the Arizona Coyotes Foundation. The brands,” he said. “I’d send him my art collaboration came about after Gutierrez’s and show him. He emailed me and said wife contacted Pierce through Instagram. to keep up the good work, keep doing my “She said they were looking for a paintthing. He sent me free gear. That inspired ing for a wall space,” he said. “They invited
me to their house.” Unfamiliar with Gutierrez, Pierce asked what he did for a living. He told Pierce he was the president and chief executive of�icer. “I thought, ‘Oh dang. That’s awesome,’” he said laughing. “I said I always wanted to do the Kachina logo in my style of art and collaborate with the Coyotes. “He said, ‘That’s why I wanted to talk to you.’ He connected me with the foundation.” Inspired by the late Haring, Dr. Seuss and Picasso, Pierce said Arizona is the lead character. “I started doing Arizona landscapes because you see horses in oil paintings and things like that,” he said. “I wanted to create a new, fun look at Southwestern art. “I’ve done tons of portraits. I do a lot of cartoons based on pop culture and retro cartoons that we grew up watching, like Looney Tunes. Landscapes and skylines are big, too. I’m always trying to think of new stuff to paint, rather than just sticking to one.” Pierce grew up skateboarding and was entrenched in the culture and lifestyle. He attended skateboarding trade shows and hung out with the skateboarding community. He’s always tickled when new collectors discover his art. “There was this one dude who I worked for, he has 80 paintings throughout his house and just found out about my stuff,” he said. “He said, ‘Dude, I want to collect a lot of your stuff.’” Art is Pierce’s full-time job. If he isn’t painting murals, he’s working on product design logos, custom shoes and “anything art related.” “Other than that, I’m always busy painting, ful�illing orders and patterns,” he said. Pierce has plenty to be proud of, between his works for Jackson and Ross, as well as businesses and homes around the Valley. He’s still amazed by the way his art has traveled. He even had a clothing and shoe line in Wuhan, China, four years ago. “It’s huge,” he said of Ross, who pur-
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