“Graffiti writing is painting, RIME proves it. His Road Map Tour dropped into Minneapolis like a signal flare, marking decades of movement, invention, and style.”
— Joe Ellis
In partnership with Joe Ellis Art, the LynLake Street Art Series presented RIME MSK: Road Map Tour, featuring the renowned graffiti writer from New York whose dynamic work has shaped and challenged the boundaries of contemporary painting.
RIME has carved a distinctive path through a street-certified evolution, developing a versatile and painterly vocabulary that sets him apart. Known for his nomadic studio practice, RIME adapts to his surroundings — or perhaps the environment adapts to him. In July 2023, his Road Map Tour made a significant stop in Minneapolis, where he created a public work at 31st & Aldrich. The piece features his name, “RIME,” rendered twice: first in playful bubble letters wrapped with a snake, and again through the forms of a wolf, duck, skull, and woman.
While in town, RIME also led a workshop with SPRAYFiNGER and hosted a black book session at UC headquarters, deepening his connection with the local community and its writers.
RIME stands on the cusp of broader recognition within the art world. His decades-long practice reflects the core of the graffiti movement and challenges lingering distinctions between writing and painting. His work reminds us that graffiti is not separate from painting but is itself a vital form within the larger tradition of contemporary art. With each piece, RIME affirms that style-writing is not a subculture — it is culture.