Name: Tyrique AKA Masterpiece
Name Meaning: "He who pounds at the door"
Name History: Modern English, coming from the Arabic name Tariq.
Age: 15
Born: Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Birth sign: Scorpio- the water sign… I quench your thirst for knowledge through my art.
Favorite saying: Don’t define me - inspire me.
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Foods: Homemade macaroni and triple cheese
Influence: Tom Toles

What is the difference between your art work and graffiti?  From the jump, graffiti is defined as defacing public property; an act of vandalism, besides...everyone knows, it’s so old and uncool to sneak around damaging or disrespecting others property. I believe in getting permission which allows me to express myself through my art in daylight with the world watching.  My work space is a blank wall donated by the shop owner... a smart owner I may add, for she knows several teens come daily to the wall to read, view and learn what’s hot in their community.

Favorite Music: R&B, Urban, Reggie and a touch of classical...don’t look surprise...music is like art to me, it comes in all forms and if you close your ears to one you close you eyes as well… deep hun… I’ll break it down for ya another day…
My Influences: Tom Toles- Washington Post editorial cartoonist, Pulitzer Prize winner, for editorial cartooning. His cartoons appear in more than 200 newspapers throughout the country and on several websites. Talk about taken heat and beaten the odds for your artwork.
Greatest Moment: Speaking with Tom Toles and having him autograph his name on my character T-shirt… Check it out… It is DaBomb!!!!!
Why Art: My work allows me to captures, express and release issues that are heavy on the soul and hard on the head. I am the youth of the future... born in a time where what many seen as sci-fie... is now our world...fast technology...html as our first language. and text messaging is second nature. A time where family sturtures and simple respect "good night John boy"... or basic face to face communication skills are being replaced with one line phases... 'whatever." A time where struggling to feed a family is replaced with strulggling to feed a habit .A time of highly exposure to crime, drugs, death of many… and of one…a friend. A time where the values and security of two worlds clash, both wanting the same...to be seen, be heard and to have a voice...but... the language and approach is very different.

Read interview with Nava