Graffiti artists Riot TopTwo holds true to his roots

Riot TopTwo Mhc

Graffiti artist, Charles Keylock holds true to his roots.

Better known as Riot_TopTwo he creates authentic graffiti pieces as this is his pure, uncensored and uninhibited source of inspiration

Based in Johannesburg, South African graffiti artist Riot TopTwo has worked with the likes of iconic Walt Disney Studios being commissioned to create art spaces in both Johannesburg and Cape Town as part of the marketing for the release of their “Star Wars Rebels” animated series on Disney Channel. Riot has shown, not only through his well honed graffiti skills, but also his vast knowledge in the trait of art techniques, exhibiting his fine eye for detail. Riot produces a clean form of graffiti showcasing a steady hand and precision when manoeuvring his spray can and other mediums. His art was recognised in 2014, winning him the title of Best Graffiti Artist in the Sprite Uncontainable Graffiti Artist of the Year.  Winning this award gave him the opportunity to go to New York in 2015. Riot also won local awards for Best Graffiti Artist held by the non-profit organisation Sizanani in collaboration with Timmal Holdings. 

Born and bred in East London town, Riot started doing tagging and throw-ups as a young cat in his local spots in Amalinda and Quigney, which later progressed to blockbusters and wild style pieces. These evolved into what we see today in his more intricate pieces. When he’s not spraying, his “Clark Cent” name would be Charles Keylock, owner of Graff-Worx and partners in the Art and Tattoo studio Top2Bottom. Riot has managed to stay true to his art form, while being able to build a successful and reputable business from it, but more importantly doing what he loves in an uncensored way. Although graffiti is associated mostly with “illegal art” or “vandalism”, in its original state, Graffiti is obscured by being more widely accepted when referred to as “murals”. Throughout his career, he has consistently managed to land various big brands commissions enabling him to play with the ‘big boys’ in the creative and media industries. A lot of hip hop elements are a celebration of the lifestyle, which brands like Sprite and other reputable brands have played an integral part in developing the street culture. Graffiti artists like Riot has played a crucial part in the evolution of graffiti. In 2005, he work on the acclaimed South African film “Tsotsi” as a graffiti artist creating incredible urban landscapes used in the Academy Award winner, cinematographer, Lance Gewer who I’ve had a few opportunities to work with e.g. Spud. “Tsotsi” was directed by Gavin Hood, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. 

Tsotsi. 2005. Trailer. Cinematography Lance Gewer, Directed by Gavin Hood.

Riot’s art and graffiti  can be described as clean, fresh and has an almost holistic approach to it. Nowadays, clean living attributes to a a growing consciousness of “exhibiting environmental awareness”, “going local and be organic” and being socially conscious and responsible citizens of this planet. Reducing the environmental impact can combat air pollution, water pollution and overall climate change that could possibly prevent millions of premature deaths over the next century (Tina, 2021). 

Riot TopTwo artistically embodies old school skills in his graffiti pieces by expressing a multitude of techniques and skills learned over decades honing his craft as a freelance artist. Riot’s pieces are best defined as an interplay of skills,  technologies and creating his own brand as a graffiti king.

Graffiti can be looked at in a different light thanks to Riot’s influence on the Graffiti art scene in Jozie. He help shape Graffiti being viewed in a more reputable light, debunking the preconditioned ideas of  the stereotypical association that hip-hop and street culture co-exists with drugs and mind altering substances. The true artists finds inspiration from a pure source. This source they find in art itself and in other artists. I’ve discovered recently, speaking to some of the most current and notably emerging artists on a global scale,  are in the same mind frame as Riot. When I had a chat with Mason Storm, I asked him the same question: “What is the muse to your own creativity?” Mason Storm’s explanation really made a huge impression on me and how I view these big art kahunas. Riot’s art inspires many new school artists in Jozie. He pays homage to his roots while inspiring and passing on his skills to GenZs. 

 In a 2019 interview with Horner from The Citizen, Keylock commented “it is mine and many other local artists’ way of inspiring young children to get into graffiti as a creative outlet rather than falling prey to drugs. To the youngsters out there, keep it clean, stay off drugs and have plenty of fun.” ~ Riot TopTwo

You can follow Keylock’s art on Instagram at @Riot_TopTwo or contact him on Facebook at Graff-Worx to commission his work.

References:

Tina. 2021. What is Fashion Activism? Deep dive into the meaning, history, and recent examples. [Online] Available from: https://www.thinking-threads.com/post/what-is-fashion-activism-deep-dive-into-the-meaning-history-and-recent-examples [Accessed 14 Feb. 2023]

3DLook. 2021. Slow fashion movement: Fashion’s next big trend? [Online] Available at: https://3dlook.me/content-hub/slow-fashion-movement/ Links to an external site.[Accessed 14 Feb. 2023].