Bomb Chicago sat down recently with local artist Hugo Style for an interview.

Hugo was born in raised in Chicago, primarily in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, and has been involved in the Chicago street art/graffiti scene since he was 12 years old. His family is Guatemalan, and growing up hearing stories of the Civil War afflicting relatives still in Guatemala inspired Hugo to incorporate politics into his art. The first graffiti crew he formed was NSH, Non Stop Hip Hip, which worked all over the city creating politically motivated throw-ups.

Hugo frequently exhibits his work at galleries, including Quennect 4 to Studio 54b. From murals to graffiti to installations, Hugo’s work causes encourages viewers to think, to step out of their comfort level, to question the day-to-day. We’ve segmented the interview into six parts and will be releasing it in two batches. This first batch contains Hugo’s thoughts on the state of Chicago graffiti, his influences, as well as crews past and present he’s been involved with.

We want to thank Hugo for sitting down with us and giving us the opportunity to showcase his thoughts and talents. We’d also like to thank Molemen Records and Galapagos4 for allowing use to use the tracks used in the interviews. The music used in the interviews were taken off PNS “Showcase Production Music” and the Qwel and Maker “So Be It” (Instrumentals).