Michael Anthony Pegues
Michael Anthony Pegues (born May 11, 1962) is an African American visual artist living in New York City. Born and raised in Brooklyn, mother's family from Liberia, father's from Portugal, he attended alternative High School Redirection, Brownsville, Brooklyn, and later Nassau Community College, Garden City, LI. Self-taught, modern-day Fauve, Expressionist as well as Pop artist, contemporary of Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, his work is strongly influenced by Hip Hop and Graffiti. Pegues had his first major solo and retrospective show at the FB Gallery in New York in 2012, "Prince  Michael's Neverland: The Measure of an Artist: Michael Anthony Pegues," May 16 – June 3. His work was exhibited in Italy, his first solo show abroad, in 2014 at Le 4 Pareti: galleria d'arte, Napoli, April 5–17. His acrylic canvases, sculptures and assemblages have also been exhibited in New York at Aurora Gallery, Chelsea (under the graffiti tag Mazike), Jonathan Shorr Gallery, Soho, and the New York Public Library, among other places. He has collaborated with the artist Cinthus (aka Martin H.Leff-Cinthus) and the writer Tom Mathew, illustrating the latter's children's book "The Magic Rug: A Christmas  Story" (Staten Island, New York: Trademark Universal, Inc., 2010). A prominent figure in the downtown art scene, he frequently attends gallery openings, receptions, fundraisers and other social functions, and has been photographed by the likes of nightlife photographer Patrick McMullan, Bill Farrell, Cojo "Art Juggernaut", and society photographer Annie Watt. Other sources. "Tribeca Citizen", "Coming Up: Woodyfest, Juggling, Chely Wright," May 13, 2012, Arts & Culture, Events "Museum of Uncut Funk" Press Release for FB Gallery Show FB Gallery Closing Party Francois B's Photostream: Michael Anthony Pegues, Tribeca, NYC 2012, Michael Anthony Pegues wearing the jacket he designed for his  art exhibition at FB gallery (May 16 / June3), May 17, 2012 Michael Anthony Pegues alle 4 pareti a Napoli, Via Fiorelli 12/d, il 5 Aprile al 17 Aprile, 2014 Promo for Le 4 Pareti show "My Small Story: Over 300 Filmed New York Stories", "The Measure of Michael Anthony Pegues," Unscripted Video Interview by LaRon Batchelor, May 16, 2012 "Private Noise", "Michael Anthony Pegues listening to "Fool to Cry" by The Rolling Stones," by Sam Utne, July 26, 2011, 9AM "Dana's Dailies" "100 Years from Now: Michael Anthony Pegues," by Dana Roc, Feb 17, 2011, 8:22pm "@149st - The  Cyber Bench: Documenting New York City Graffiti", Past Shows & Events, Aurora Gallery, 515 west 29th Street (10th-11th) presents "History in the Making Part III: Graffiti Got Game!," Featuring new basketball themed works of over twenty graffiti artists, Sept 9 - 30, 2005 "TimeOut New York", "Public Eye: Michael A. Pegues, 43, Sixth Avenue and West 4th Street," by Time Out editors (Howard Halle), Thu. Mar 23, 2006 "Winter Walk", Photograph of artist in Bryant Park by Leanne Staples, "Queen of Manhattan Street Photography," December 16, 2013 New York Public Library, "Meet the Artist: Michael Pegues," by Sherri Liberman, Mulberry Branch, June  20, 2013 "Art Slant": Michael Anthony Pegues Official Website of Michael Anthony Pegues