Art for the
millennial Age
By Jenny Hor
Talent breeds creativity and Chris “Bboy Monkee” Owens is nothing short of talented. As an artist,
he shifts between sketches on a notepad and illustrations on the computer screen. His artistic expressions, however, aren’t confined to the art studio. He is able to capture his audience’s attention
through dance too. More importantly, his artistry allows him to give back to local youth inspired by
the varying layers of hip-hop and life itself.
In an age where all things digital take precedence, Chris sees value in both traditional art forms
and its modernizing counterpart. For him, digital art is another element that adds depth to existing
mediums. “I actually feel like the future of art will be a hybrid. … I think of mixed media and technology, and digital graphic design will just be an asset,” he says. “You have technology coming of
age. You can almost emulate anything organically, which is just a different type of creative outlet.”
His work in mixed media and digital illustrations is divided into three “phases” as he calls it.“I have
the work person who designs things for corporate industries and different companies, locally and
nationally. But then I have the outlet where it’s creating items for the [Bboy Federation] and it’s a
little bit more rooted to what I like to do—like hip-hop. And then I have my own self-proclaimed art.
There are different motivations for each one.”
05 | VOICES | MCA.UTAH.GOV