Founded in the 1980s, Tats Cru is a mainstay of New York graffiti. The group’s collaborative approach is to integrate the individual members’ styles and names into one collective work of art. Having gained a reputation as the creator of large-scale murals, Tats Cru has worked with some of the world’s major music acts like Missy Elliot, Jennifer Lopez, and Metallica. The members also helped solidify graffiti writing in Europe when they visited England for a project with young local writers who would later become the country’s most famed pioneers.

Tats Cru developed letter writing in their own particular way, which also shows in their work Made in the Bronx. This painting makes reference to the five elements of hip-hop, the pillars of the Bronx-born culture: music (DJing), lyrics (MCing), dance (breakdancing), visual art (graffiti), and historical knowledge of the movement.

On loan courtesy of the Gewobag collection.