Cey draws inspiration from 60’s pop art, sign painting, comic books and pop culture. His work also includes themes of race and gender relations, as well as cultural and community issues. He exhibits, lectures and teaches art workshops at renowned institutions such as MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, New York University, Stamford University, The University of Winnipeg in Canada… just to name a few.
Cey was born and raised in Harlem, New York and emerged as an artist the same time as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, both very influential in his work to this day. He is a highly respected, sought-after visual artist, graphic designer and author. From the early 80’s to the late 90’s, Cey served as the first Creative Director for Def Jam Recordings, working alongside seminal Hip-Hop artists like Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z.
Cey's original collages on the left and the rug designs on the right - Big City of Dreams and Supreme.
Together, Lucy and Cey created a collection of seven designs, each one telling a story about his artistic journey beginning with childhood. ‘Harlem’ is the first design in this series where Cey pays homage to his family’s neighborhood and to his father who served in the military. The color palette is symbolic of that period by employing army green and gray tones, as well as red hues which are a nod to the American flag. The number ‘2’ acts as a focal point, referencing Cey’s favorite childhood number. His fascination with letters and numbers is a common theme throughout his work and is an integral part of this rug collection.
These rugs are hand-crafted from high-quality, New Zealand wool with a tag featuring the artist's signature in silk. All designs are made-to-order and can be customized to suit any size or shape specification. Because of the bold graphics and vibrant colors, we felt this collection was best produced in a tightly-woven cut pile, in one height, to help focus on the 2D designs and give the rugs a more dense structure.
Left: The Harlem USA rug.
Below: Details of the Harlem USA rug.
