After his mother’s death, then 13-year-old Harvey Nichol emigrated from Manila in the Philippines and found himself living on Calgary’s streets before entering the foster care system at 15. During that time he found his love of art and style through hip-hop and skate culture when he joined the ReFreshed Crew youth arts mentorship program. “Being influenced by all these different cultures, I tend to mash them up,” says Nichol. “Sometimes I’ll just draw on my shirt or wear my own art.”
Now 21, Nichol is a full-time contemporary artist who works in explosive colour on canvas, found materials, garments and the human body. When he’s not working out of his home studio, you’ll find him at the Secret Shop YYC market of streetwear and art he takes part in. And, you can expect to find him in a look as bold as his artwork. “I’m very loud in the way I dress. Something that a normal person would see and be like, ‘that’s too much’ or ‘that’s ridiculous,’ I see that more as a challenge,” he says.
