You are the universe in ecstatic motion. - Rumi

JK5, or to some, Joseph Ari Aloi, is a satellite orbiting cultural discourse, mythology, and symbolism to create a visual vernacular for both the perfunctory and the profound. The layers of meaning from spiritual, to philosophical, to poetic, to pop, build bridges that are fluid enough to be inclusive and complex enough to leave you wondering and wanting more.

If drawing is like taking a line for a walk (Paul Klee), then JK5’s lines’ are on walks that turned into truth seeking epics. As you follow these lines, you are intimately invited into alternate worlds and new narratives at endless cultural crossroads, aiming to raise collective consciousness and provoke play. JK5 brings in the personal, prophetic, timely, and timeless to converse across disciplines. Each of his works are both the medium and the message. 

This JK5 universe is built on the backbone of devotion and mastery. Art as freedom, led to this primary expression of identity, and then 25 years as a tattoo artist and restless draftsman placed precision in his hands and connection to the human experience at the heart of all conceptual exercises as a translator— a rare perspective. It is this universe and viewpoint that distinguishes JK5’s current work as a painter, illustrator, calligrapher, designer, poet, and writer.

JK5’s process is wildly organic and associative. His level of attention to artistry showcases a commitment to an ever evolving range of styles and a constant nurturing of distinct writing and communication systems. It is this approach and the multiple meta meanings that unfold that have touched the heads and hearts of countless cultures and subcultures. JK5 has joined forces and created custom projects with Nike, Comme des Garçons, Dover Street Market, Zeiss, Topps Project 2020 and Project 70, Kidrobot, and Wieden + Kennedy, to name a few. His work has been exhibited through Deitch Projects, Alife NYC, and other galleries worldwide. He recently exhibited a new body of work as the inaugural solo show at Three Kings Studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

You can learn more about the JK5 universe and journey in Rizzoli: Joseph Ari Aloi AKA JK5: An Archive of Sketches, Tattoos, Drawings, Paintings, and Objects, as well as Subconsciothesaurusnex.