An oral history of the Toronto graffiti movement told through the voices of the writers themselves.
MEDIA & PRESS
Toronto Graffiti: The Human Behind the Wall documents more than three decades of graffiti culture in Toronto — but its significance extends well beyond the city. Many of the artists featured in the book are among the first graffiti writers in Canadian history: the pioneers who brought graffiti to Canada, developed it, and shaped it into the art form it became. Their stories have never been told in depth before. These interviews represent the first time many of them have spoken publicly about their experience, their craft, and their role in building a culture from the ground up.
Rather than presenting graffiti solely as visual art, the project focuses on the human stories behind the work — preserving perspectives from inside the culture and documenting how graffiti became a defining element of urban expression. The result is both a Toronto story and a piece of Canadian cultural history, told in the words of the people who lived it.
The book has been featured in national and international media since its first publication and continues to be referenced as a cultural record of the Toronto graffiti scene.
NATIONAL MEDIA
The Globe and Mail
The book has been featured in the Globe and Mail twice.
CBC Radio — Big City, Small World
Featured on CBC Radio's Big City, Small World with host Garvia Bailey.
Rogers TV Channel 10
Artist La Bomba, a major contributor to the book, was interviewed on Rogers TV Channel 10.
INSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION
Centennial College
The School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design published a feature profile on Yvette Farkas and the book.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
The book has also been covered by:
International references and mentions:
Online references and mentions include Wikipedia, Imagining Toronto, The Art Market, Nouspique, The Labyrinth, Edible Tulip, SCOPE, and Dope Art.
INSTITUTIONAL PLACEMENTS
The book is held in or has been sold through the following institutions:
KEY THEMES
REVIEW COPIES & PRESS INQUIRIES
Review copies and additional information are available upon request. Contact: [email protected]
Author Note
The author prefers to remain private and let the work speak for itself.
Toronto Graffiti: The Human Behind the Wall preserves voices from inside the graffiti movement and serves as a documentary archive of the Toronto graffiti scene.
www.torontograffiti.ca
Rather than presenting graffiti solely as visual art, the project focuses on the human stories behind the work — preserving perspectives from inside the culture and documenting how graffiti became a defining element of urban expression. The result is both a Toronto story and a piece of Canadian cultural history, told in the words of the people who lived it.
The book has been featured in national and international media since its first publication and continues to be referenced as a cultural record of the Toronto graffiti scene.
NATIONAL MEDIA
The Globe and Mail
The book has been featured in the Globe and Mail twice.
- Graffiti crackdown coincides with celebration of city's street art www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/graffiti-crackdown-coincides-with-celebration-of-citys-street-art/article563939/
- Graffiti: Mischief or masterpiece? www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/graffiti-mischief-or-masterpiece/article584197/
CBC Radio — Big City, Small World
Featured on CBC Radio's Big City, Small World with host Garvia Bailey.
- Big City, Small World was CBC Radio's cultural connection to Toronto's arts scene, broadcast every Saturday on 99.1 FM. www.cbc.ca/bigcitysmallworld
Rogers TV Channel 10
Artist La Bomba, a major contributor to the book, was interviewed on Rogers TV Channel 10.
- In the interview she discusses the elements that shaped graffiti as an art form in Toronto and beyond. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe2ubFsUh_0
INSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION
Centennial College
The School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design published a feature profile on Yvette Farkas and the book.
- Yvette is a two-time Centennial College graduate and the book was showcased at the institution. www.centennialcollege.ca/school-of-communications-media-arts-and-design-blog/2021/october/26/two-time-centennial-graduate-writes-defining-book-about-toronto-graffiti
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE
The book has also been covered by:
- BlogTO
- Eye Weekly
- Inside Toronto
- The Torontoist
- Zouch Magazine
- Senses Lost
International references and mentions:
- iLoveGraffiti (Germany)
- Prefuse (Netherlands)
- Twelve Ounce Prophet
- Street Art and Graffiti
Online references and mentions include Wikipedia, Imagining Toronto, The Art Market, Nouspique, The Labyrinth, Edible Tulip, SCOPE, and Dope Art.
INSTITUTIONAL PLACEMENTS
The book is held in or has been sold through the following institutions:
- National Library of Canada — permanent collection
- Toronto Public Library — multiple branches
- Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
- York University Bookstore
- Chapters / Indigo
- Centennial College
- Referenced by professors at the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University
KEY THEMES
- graffiti culture and identity
- urban art and public space
- voices from inside the movement
- the evolution of graffiti in Toronto
- cultural documentation of an underground art movement
REVIEW COPIES & PRESS INQUIRIES
Review copies and additional information are available upon request. Contact: [email protected]
Author Note
The author prefers to remain private and let the work speak for itself.
Toronto Graffiti: The Human Behind the Wall preserves voices from inside the graffiti movement and serves as a documentary archive of the Toronto graffiti scene.
www.torontograffiti.ca
