Our Opening Reception kicks off at 6:00PM with Live Painting from the artist.

Punk Me Tender (1982) keeps his identity well-hidden even though his artworks are highly recognizable. Earlier in his career, he came up with his moniker due to his great love for the legendary Elvis Presley and started to see the street as his canvas when he was told that he couldn’t. As a promising street artist he managed to leave his mark across LA and fashion some of the city’s most impressive murals.

Love, beauty, sensuality and desire are major themes that PunkMeTender explores in his work, alongside a broader theme of unity. “There’s an aspect of beauty in everything I do, as seeing and appreciating beauty brings people together,” he says. He works based on instinct, never following specific rules. But there is one constant: Like the butterfly that has become his signature, the artist strives to create a transformative experience for anyone who comes into contact with his work.

“The technique I use is itself a transformation: I lay down colors over white butterflies, and watch them transform,” the artist says. “The same way a butterfly is born, and how it transforms itself from a chrysalis—my whole body of work is based on that.” PunkMeTender is also known for his use of original photography, bold colors and high-gloss embellishments like glittery Swarovski crystals, diamond dust and glossy acrylic coatings that push his work right over the top.

PunkMeTender is on view at Hayes Gallery from June 2nd-June 20th.