Originally drawing attention as a street artist in Los Angeles, HiJack’s work has been seen in urban landscapes as well as in fine art galleries all over the world, including in Paris, Switzerland, and Japan. HiJack has earned a reputation for his detailed, delicate stencil work, which is especially showcased in the playful black cat images that have become his signature.
Stencil art is a classic technique for street art that first appeared in cities in the 1970s and became popular in the 1980s. The technique involves spraying paint onto a wall through a crafted medium like cardboard, an effective method for creating art on a wall quickly and without much light. The bulk of the work goes into creating the stencil itself before it goes up on the wall.
Stencils are also effective for “tagging,” as the same image can be reproduced quickly and exactly in multiple locations. The technique was actually used by members of the US Army during World War II, when soldiers would tag equipment or certain locations with information or icons like angels or devils to boost morale or frighten the enemy.
In 1981, Blek le Rat brought his background in fine art and architecture to street art and elevated the stencil form with his work in Paris. He is now known as one of the fathers of stencil art and considered an important influence on contemporary stencil artists like Banksy. Today, stencil has become one of the most popular and well-loved forms of contemporary street art.
