Made with neither quill nor can, Niels “Shoe” Meulman paints his “calligraffiti,” text art which combines the craft of calligraphy with the urban attitude of graffiti, on unorthodox canvases and with untraditional means. That prefix—”un”—is key to the Amsterdam-based artist and designer, a series of four identical strokes which create a meditative rhythm and open a world of creative possibility. For Art Basel Miami, he covers a vintage limousine in the faux-Gothic lettering of Latino gang graffiti, and drives the Unruly Limo on the streets of Miami and San Francisco. It is a stylish, California-centric version of the subway cars which used to carry tags around New York City.
