Atlanta muralist Kevin Bongang's abstract style heavily inspired by graffiti art

On the “City Lights” series “Speaking of Art,” local artists share insights into their influences, processes, and experiences in town. This edition features muralist and illustrator Kevin Bongang. “I’ve been categorized as having a whimsical, abstract style,” Bongang said.

“The majority of my work is mural-based. I also do a lot of digital work, but a lot of inspiration is graffiti art. Coming up around Atlanta, graffiti was definitely a major influence and what kind of directed my trajectory in art.”

As a child, Bongang loved looking at comic books, and as he got older, he got into anime and watched cartoons like Dragon Ball Z, the Looney Tunes and Dexter’s Laboratory. Trying to replicate that imagery is what got him into art. Bongang, a Cameroon native, also credits African art as influencing his work, as well.