ABOUT
(Born 1983) in an old Yorkshire mill town UK, Cbloxx (Jay Gilleard) is an internationally acclaimed muralist, painter, and stone sculptor. They became known for co-founding queer street art duo Nomad Clan.
Spending 3 years in LA during the pandemic gave rise to their notable return to solo practise, painting a giant mural downtown for Unesco’s world art day, as well as artistic residencies in Mexico exploring Mayan history.
Cbloxx mural process involves extensive research attuned to localities where the public art will reside, often considering the geology of the land, archeological sites, ancient civilisations, cultural heritage, spirituality & ancestry. A tangled myriad of social justice topics sit at the epicentre of their portfolio, tactfully producing layered public art murals and installations that attempt to reconnect people to their environments.
Cbloxx predominant weapon of choice is spray paint, with over 18 years experience working tirelessly with the medium, however with the addition of 3D their portfolio has taken a more focused turn:
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'Training to carve/sculpt stone, set the tone for my latest body of work where figures/faces are chiseled in the studio and then used as reference materials for paintings in a half worked state. The rough edges translate perfectly into cliffs/ landscapes, otherworldly faces being part of the land, buried in the layers underneath or sometimes bursting out of the walls. This provides the perfect framework for collaborative approach with local communities as they are able to contribute ideas of important/significant landmarks that can be integrated conceptually.
Stone as both a literal material and a metaphor is incredibly fitting for exploring the concept of permanence, memory, and history—like a vessel for holding stories across time. The connection between petroglyphs and graffiti is especially poignant because it ties together the ancient act of marking stone with contemporary forms of self-expression, blurring the lines between past and present. It suggests that the impulse to record our existence, our identities, and our experiences is timeless'
