Bates graffiti biography of christopher
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During his career he has been invited to paint in many big venues around the continent and overseas, but he has never revealed his face in photographs. He has been invited to paint in more than 30 countries, on all five continents.
In 1998 he was the second artist to be featured in “On the Run’s” biographical series on international graffiti writers.
From Copenhagen to Sweden and far beyond, his signature style is instantly recognizable — bold, fluid, and full of movement.
After his first solo show in Copenhagen in 2009, BATES has expanded his reach into the fine art world, with works exhibited in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Berlin, while still staying grounded in the street.
All images by graffiti artist BATES
Bates is a thought after live performer and lecturer and has done several public appearances his works is represented in both private and corporate collections across the globe in cities like Copenhagen, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Stockholm, Malmo, Chicago and Berlin.
Artist - BATES
Bates is one of the most prominent Danish contemporary artists who has shaped and mastered the art of style in the past three decades.
Born in 1971 in Copenhagen, Bates began writing graffiti as a young boy and by the mid of ’80s he became one of the most prolific artists in his native country.
As the graffiti artist of the second generation of a Danish Graffiti movement, Bates is one of the few who still follow this classic, traditional style in writing graffiti.
In 2018 Bates art started to spark interest in Middle East and Asia after attending the “Joybo Street Art Festival” in Chongqing in China.
Bates works is also featured in several books like the “Graffiti Burners”, History of American Graffiti”, “World Piece Book”, “Dansk Wildstyle Graffiti.
In connection to this he also did several commission works for private collectors. Bates lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Born 1971 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Bates began writing graffiti in his early teens and soon became one of the most prolific artists within Copenhagen’s budding hip-hop scene of the mid 1980-ties.
Already in 1989 he was considered among the leading elite of European graffiti artists.
Born 1971 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Bates began writing graffiti in his early teens and despite his tender age soon became one of the most prolific artists within Copenhagen’s budding hip-hop scene of the mid 1980-ties.
With the internationalization of the European graffiti of the early 1990-ties the rumor of Bates stylistic elegance spread even further and he soon became one of the most sought after artists for the big venues around the continent and overseas. Combining graffiti writing style with fun graphics and cartoon characters for Style in Progress, the Danish artist offers a balance of both the history of graffiti and where it can be taken in the future by Bates.
In 1998 Bates was the second artist to be featured in On the Run’s biographical series on international graffiti writers.
In 2016 he was in Los Angeles to showcase his 30 years of writing in the “California Dreaming” show at the Buckshot Gallery. Hailing from Denmark, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative artists in the international graffiti community.
BATES is known for fusing traditional New York-style graffiti — with its flowing letters and dynamic rhythm — with abstract visual elements, creating a style that’s both classic and contemporary.
His work bridges generations, blending old-school foundation with the ever-evolving language of modern urban art.
Since emerging in the late ’80s, BATES has stood alongside legends like Loomit, Bando, and Mode 2, consistently pushing the boundaries of graffiti and redefining what the medium can express.
Bates artworks is represented in both private and corporate collections across the globe in cities like Copenhagen, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Paris, Stockholm, Malmo, Berlin and Dubai.
Introducing: BATES [CPH]
A true pioneer of the genre, BATES [CPH] has been shaping the world of graffiti since his teenage years.
Although he experimented a lot, he never followed the trends and there are some elements that the artist uses over and over again.
Bates combines the traditional graffiti writing styles developed in New York, accentuating the logic flow of letters, dynamic and swinging rhythms of shapes, with the essence of Europe, including sharp lines and graphic elements.
Already in the late ‘80s Bates was one of the leading European graffiti artists, along with artists such as Loomit from Munich, Mode 2 and Bando from Paris, Delta and Shoe from Amsterdam.
Already in 1989 he was considered among the leading elite of European graffiti artists – including names such as Loomit from Germany, Mode 2 and Bando from Paris, Delta and Shoe from Amsterdam.
With the internationalization of the European graffiti of the early 1990-ties the rumor of Bates stylistic elegance spread even further and he soon became one of the most sought after artists for the big venues around the continent and overseas.
In 2009, the graffiti writer has his first solo show entitled It’s about time at Copenhagen Street Wear. Grew up with the anonymity of the graffiti culture, he stayed mysterious and still guards his privacy intensely.
Inspiration comes from comic books, sculptures and colour palettes and Bates combines a traditionalist New York feeling for style – with an emphasis on a logic flow of letters, dynamic and swinging rhythms of bars and arrows – with a European sense of technique, of sharp lines, with a graphic verve and near flawless can control.
In recent year Bates has spent time in Germany for sold out shows at the gallery a4lw in Soest.
Since then Bates has shown his work in many solo exhibitions presenting his works on canvas.
One of his latest shows called Style in Progress, at Partisan Creative Corner, is a celebration of the progress the artist has made in thirty years of graffiti writing. He has been invited to paint in more than 30 countries, on all five continents.