Xebra is showing at D-gallerie in St. Petersburg through July.iBOMS
Jabari Reed-Diop – aka iBOMS – is exhibiting his street art-meets-comic book collection of paintings and sculptures at D-Gallerie, [1234 Dr. MLK Jr St. N., St. Petersburg] through July.
The work, coined Xebra towers over the small gallery with iBOMS’ painted flames and graffiti-style accents.
It’s a look into the mind of the artist, a 22-year-old ball of energy. He’s shown at MIZE gallery, The St. Pete Fairgrounds, and in the Warehouse Arts District.
“iBOMS is me, he’s my avatar, my icon,” iBOMS said.
The avatar, an anime-inspired character with a bomb for a head can be spotted a handful of times throughout Xebra. He also paints in his mother, former love interests, and how he perceives his own consciousness into the work.
“Here, I show a blood cell that has gained consciousness within the body,” iBOMS told The Gabber. “He’s woken up.”
22-year-old Jabari Reed-Diop created his alter-ego iBOMS as a character in his work, and as his alter-ego in the art world.iBOMS
Xebra relates to himself, and the struggle that he feels as a young artist thrust into the real world without much preparation.
In iBOMS life, there’s the young St. Pete kid who got into scuffles, and the budding artist breaking into the scene. At 22, he’s balancing both those people.
“A zebra is my mother’s spirit animal,” iBOMS said. “It’s also the idea of the divide of the mind. A zebra symbolizes balance, the light side and the dark side, and the balance of those two within yourself..”
It can be a lot to digest, which is why iBOMS and D-Gallerie partnered with PixelStix to tell the art’s story. PixelStix is a pixel-pairing technology that allows viewers to glide over iBOMS paintings with their phone cameras and be presented with a video explaining to art and it’s creation.
It’s like a QR code, but hidden in the art.
iBOMS hopes to remain in St. Pete for the next few years.Abby Baker
PixelStix founder Matthew Walker says the technology has been used for art exhibitions and mural work in St. Pete, Los Angeles, and Flint, Michigan, where there’s a huge culture of street art. The technology is also at SHINE mural Festival.
As for iBOMS, he’s happy to be telling the story of his young life.
What’s next for the St. Pete creator?
“Outer space,” he laughed.
Xebra D-Gallerie, 1234 Dr. MLK Jr St. N., St. Petersburg. Through July 31. Mon.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
