As a kid Hashim was intrigued with the Graffiti Art he saw all over LA in the 80’s.  At thirteen his Mom wanted him to paint a patio table in the backyard so he bought spray paint and happened to buy one extra can.  That night, sneaking out of the house to the alleyway and down the street, Hashim caught his first tag on a dumpster.  The next day he brought two of his closest friends to see what he had done and from that point they all started “tagging”.  Over time his tags developed into more complex designs until the point Hashim transformed buses, billboards, trains, and eventually created a 70’ x16’mural.

This early stage of development shaped how he approached Visual Art.  On the street you don’t have a lot of time to paint so you get in and out as quick as possible, while still trying to leave a stylish mark.  Spontaneity became a huge principle of design. Sometimes Hashim would get to a wall at night with three friends and in a matter of seconds they found themselves breaking the wall down into sections and they all tried out their latest inspiration in writing their names and— BOOM. Aerosol magic in minutes.

While still in high school Hashim had his first introduction into making moving pictures (video).  At first it was a means to document his street art. Over time it became the storytelling medium of preference.  After graduating high school Hashim attended an art school called D.A.A. Design, Art, and Architecture.  It was here where he further expanded his view of what was possible for him within the Fine Arts; this is also where he met Ronn Davis, who became one of his mentors.

His first completed video project (2001) was “Dream TV,” a one-hour music video show combining elements of nature, & urban environments together with music, creating a visual journey that was projected at clubs, & parties all over the world and of course, on the World Wide Web.

Click here for more info:   www.hashimthomas.com

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