Seen’s Story

Richard Mirando was born in New York in 1961. At the age of 11, he started to participate in a form of art known as graffiti. He began writing the nickname Seen on his art. He was born in the Bronx and he first started to paint on the subway in the early 1970s. Over time Seen became a pioneer of graffiti, and many people even consider him the godfather of graffiti. As he became increasingly well known in the city, he was also becoming more skilled.

Each challenge simply heightened Seen's ambitions, which stretched well beyond New York. It is reported that at one point in the 1980s in New York there were more pieces by Seen than billboards. The significance of Seen's work also goes beyond the subways of New York. In 1981 it took a seat alongside the work of Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Basquiat in the exhibition "New York / New Wave".

Seen has retired from his job as a tattoo artist and devoted his life to graffiti and other forms of art. In 2005, Seen also revealed his work in successful shows in Tokyo and London, and had plans to host other shows in San Francisco and New York. In short, Seen has changed the entire graffiti game and is admired by anyone who knows what real graffiti is.