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ThaiMiami Trail: Where Miami and Thai Street Artists Unite

Written By Josie Gulliksen
August 22, 2024 at 6:22 PM

Thai Miami Crew left to right: Drop Fib, Alex Face, Krave, Nagon, ThaiberPunk, Kanaet, unknown and Petch. Photo credit Gerardo Simonetto.

When Miami’s Daniel “Krave” Fila, one of Miami’s most productive street artists based in Little Havana at the El Fresco space, took a trip to Bangkok in July, two worlds collided… in a good way.

“We had a show called ‘Graphite’ and we took about 60% of that show to Thailand to exhibit at our Pop Up with the Thai street artists we met on the trip to Bangkok,” said Fila.

It was during his time there, while immersed in the culture, that he discovered a correlation between the two cities. Fila found Bangkok and Miami had a street art connection as well as similar overall vibes.

“Being on the other side of the world and finding all these interesting parallels showed me that street art culture is worldwide and every street artist knows someone that’s in a crew somewhere,” said Fila.

Artwork by Jel Martinez, a Miami-based contemporary and graffiti artist which will be part of the ThaiMiami Trail show on Aug. 27. Photo courtesy of El Fresco.

The collaboration of the Miami and Thai artists will now come to Miami and be featured in the Aug. 27 closing exhibition of “The ThaiMiami Trail” at El Fresco in Little Havana.

That evening, Thai street artist Mue Bon will be collaborating with one of Miami’s most recognizable and well-known street artists Atomik. “Bon is the equivalent of Atomik in Thailand,” said Fila. Most Miamians know Atomik’s smiling orange, one of Miami’s most recognizable street art images which is an ever-present fixture, gracing buildings and structures throughout Miami.

This piece by Muay, a Chiang Mai based graffiti artist and Muay Thai fighter will be on display at El Fresco on Aug. 27. Photo courtesy of El Fresco.

The closing show is set to be a full mash-up of Thai and Miami artists, with a roster of seven artists from Thailand and more than a dozen Miami artists, whose works will be on display side by side, a culmination of creators from opposite ends of the world coming together.

On hand that night, too, will be Fila’s studio mate Louie D, a visual artist in his own right and local DJ who spins at Dante’s in Wynwood.

Ultimately, Fila would love to create an ongoing program like the ThaiMiami Trail in other cities. He credits DJ Domination, a Miami native who now lives in Thailand with “helping this whole project come to life,” he said.

DJ Louie D (left) and Daniel “Krave” Fila (right). Photo by Zera.

Fila and Louie D stay busy at El Fresco with Vinyl Tuesdays,  group exhibitions hosted every second Tuesday of the month. It has become a successful grassroots program which they fund entirely through community support with no grant funding.

WHAT: ThaiMiami Trail

WHERE: El Fresco, 535 SW 12 Ave., Miami

WHEN: 8 to 11 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 27

COST: Free

INFORMATION: instagram.com/elfresco_miami or 657-888-3452

ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don’t miss a story at www.artburstmiami.com.

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