SEEN
Richard Mirando, American
Born in 1961
SEEN, born Richard Mirando in 1961 in the Bronx, grew up amid the social and cultural shifts of New York City. At just eleven years old, under the name Richard “Richie” Mirando, he began tagging trains near his home in a rail yard. “From that moment on, I never stopped,” he says, referring to a passion that would lead him to become a major figure in the rapidly emerging graffiti movement of the 1970s. The burgeoning graffiti scene became more than just artistic rebellion; it was evolving into a true urban language.
Fascinated by the painted subway cars traveling along the 6 line or stationed in the Lexington Avenue train yard near his uncle’s garage, Richard created his first “piece” in 1973 during an afternoon incursion into the yard on a Saturday. It was then that he adopted the pseudonym “Seen,” a name that would come to symbolize the golden age of New York graffiti. Seen quickly stood out with his “whole cars”—entire subway cars covered in vibrant, expressive paintings that captivated the city’s residents. His works, visible throughout the city, established him as a living legend.
In 1981, Seen took part in the “New York, New Wave” exhibition at PS1 in New York, an event marking graffiti’s entry into the realm of artistic institutions alongside major figures like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Through this event, graffiti, once regarded as mere vandalism, began to be recognized as a legitimate art form. In 1982, the documentary Style Wars by Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant immortalized Seen and the graffiti movement, catapulting him to the status of an international icon.
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 - Super Seen, Galerie Géraldine Zberro, Paris, France
2013 - Post no bills, Opera Gallery, Hong Kong - Les Super-Héros de Seen, Opera Gallery, Paris, France
2011 - Rétrospective Seen, Opera Gallery, Paris, France
2010 - PleaSE ENjoy, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
2009 - The 1st SEEN Pop-Up Show, Lyon, France - Kleerup Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden 2007 - Seen City, Paris, France 2006 - Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK
2005 - Rocket World Gallery, San Francisco, CA - Outside Institute Space, London, UK - Prosper Gallery, Tokyo, Japan - McCaigwelles Gallery, New York, NY
2003 - Toy Tokyo Gallery New York, NY - STIP Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Stussy SF Gallery, Tokyo, Japan - Concrete Vibes Gallery, New York, NY - Marco Art Gallery, New York, NY
2001 - Twenty-four Gallery, Vancouver, Canada - Bob’s Gallery, New York, NY
1995 - Clayton Gallery, New York, NY
1985 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Suntory Company, Tokyo, Japan
1983 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Stellweg-Seguy Gallery, New York, NY
1982 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 - Conquête urbaine, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Calais
2018 - From the streets, Centre sportif La Montgolfière, Paris, France
2017 - Maquis-art Hall Of Fame, Musée du graffiti, L’Aérosol, Paris, France
2010 - Playboy Redux Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Etats-Unis
2009 - TAG, Grand Palais, Paris, France - Nes dans la rue, Cartier Fondation pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France - Urbain 1er, Galerie Leadouze, Paris, France - TAG, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France - Playboy Redux, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvanie
2007 - That 70s Show, PowerHouse Arena, New York, NY
2006
1991 - Graffiti Art, Musée national des monuments
1984 - Graffiti, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Danmark
1980 - New Wave, MoMA P.S.1, Long Island City, USA
2017 - Super Seen, Galerie Géraldine Zberro, Paris, France
2013 - Post no bills, Opera Gallery, Hong Kong - Les Super-Héros de Seen, Opera Gallery, Paris, France
2011 - Rétrospective Seen, Opera Gallery, Paris, France
2010 - PleaSE ENjoy, Magda Danysz Gallery, Paris, France
2009 - The 1st SEEN Pop-Up Show, Lyon, France - Kleerup Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden 2007 - Seen City, Paris, France 2006 - Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK
2005 - Rocket World Gallery, San Francisco, CA - Outside Institute Space, London, UK - Prosper Gallery, Tokyo, Japan - McCaigwelles Gallery, New York, NY
2003 - Toy Tokyo Gallery New York, NY - STIP Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Stussy SF Gallery, Tokyo, Japan - Concrete Vibes Gallery, New York, NY - Marco Art Gallery, New York, NY
2001 - Twenty-four Gallery, Vancouver, Canada - Bob’s Gallery, New York, NY
1995 - Clayton Gallery, New York, NY
1985 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Suntory Company, Tokyo, Japan
1983 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Stellweg-Seguy Gallery, New York, NY
1982 - Yaki Kornblit Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 - Conquête urbaine, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Calais
2018 - From the streets, Centre sportif La Montgolfière, Paris, France
2017 - Maquis-art Hall Of Fame, Musée du graffiti, L’Aérosol, Paris, France
2010 - Playboy Redux Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Etats-Unis
2009 - TAG, Grand Palais, Paris, France - Nes dans la rue, Cartier Fondation pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France - Urbain 1er, Galerie Leadouze, Paris, France - TAG, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France - Playboy Redux, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvanie
2007 - That 70s Show, PowerHouse Arena, New York, NY
2006
1991 - Graffiti Art, Musée national des monuments
1984 - Graffiti, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Danmark
1980 - New Wave, MoMA P.S.1, Long Island City, USA
EPOCHAL VISIONS: AN EXHAUSTIVE CHRONICLE OF WORKS BELONGING OR HAVING BELONGED TO THE GALLERY’S COLLECTIONS
