feature: crowned afropunks of the queen city – artist john hairston jr

An underground visual arts scene has been bubbling in a land where bank controlled skyscrapers rule the clouds, where NASCAR rules as the King sport, and the new city marketing campaign has been tasked to attract more corporate headquarters to add to the Chamber of Commerce Fortune 500 roster. Charlotte, NC, affectionately known to its residents as the Queen City, has been working to find the Formula One way to speed to the top of the metropolitan checklist for those young professionals requiring the city they work in also provide the appropriate young adult playgrounds. Charlotte’s uptown is now filled with decadent nightlife complexes, trendy restaurant experiences, and posh art museums. The art scenes outside of the high brow glow of Uptown Charlotte is more gritty and very eclectic. These eclectics inject entrepreneurial savviness and “for the populace” sophistication into their genre of street art. One underground visual arts scene in the Queen City has been bubbling for at least a decade thanks to John Hairston Jr., king of the Queen City AFROPUNK Visual Art Scene.

By Kia O. Moore, AFROPUNK Contributor

From outdoor live paintings, to fan art, to pop art, to murals, to alternative magazine & indie album covers, and Emmy award-winning corporate commissioned pieces, Hairston has become an icon of Charlotte’s street art scene. Or, the more fitting art genre title–the Queen City AFROPUNK Art Scene. Below you will find a few visuals from Hairston to give your eyes just the visual candy they have been seeking. To see his full collection of works and to commission a piece for yourself visit Hariston’s website www.allcitystudios.com.

“Support real art” featuring John Hairston Jr. (Afropunk Visual Arts King of the Queen City), 2014

Footage Courtesy of TJ Webb

4 Moms, 2014

Grey, 2014

Daddy, things go in cycles…, 2014

Lil’ Sister, 2014

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