Chicago based artist Ahmad James Lee, known by Reco the Great, has taken the words of one of his artistic influences and crafted a compelling body of work that shares the outrageous through the transparent, panoramic lens of a brilliant, African American storyteller. No less a pop culture pirate than Warhol before him, characters and constructs embedded in society's makeup receive a full spectrum color and creative treatment
that dances on the lines of irreverent and immersive, which have become distinguishing hallmarks of his style.
Having studied art + design at Columbia College Chicago, the range of Reco's artistry reaches beyond acrylic painting on canvas. Graphic design collaborations and activations with global brands like Nike, Puma and Jack Daniels to local events such as the Hyde Park Brew Fest and Chicago Football Classic speak to his versatility as an artist. Further insights into his dynamic personality are found in his murals, which are located throughout the United States in Chicago, Miami, Compton, Phoenix, Hartford and Atlanta.
Like Basquiat and Chicago born artist Hebru Brantley, which he also credits as influences, Reco's narratives shape and challenge the traditional view of what art is, how it should speak to the experiences of the human that is an artist, how values differ across cultures and how art creates space for society to contemplate its abstract views and endless opinions. With humor, consistency, brilliance and boundless energy, a place in the lineage of great American artists for Reco is not a matter of if; it is a matter of time.
