A founding figure of modern graffiti. Born in Philadelphia in 1953, Cornbread made a name for himself as a teenager by inscribing his name on the city's walls.
Opening on Friday, April 25, 2025 from 4pm to 7pm
Talk & book signing on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 4pm to 7pm
in the presence of the artist
Speerstra Gallery Paris presents “The Legend of Legends”, the first solo exhibition in France of Darryl "Cornbread" McCray, a founding figure of modern graffiti.
Born in Philadelphia in 1953, Cornbread made his mark as a teenager by inscribing his name on the city's walls, asserting his identity through an innovative artistic gesture, free from any political or territorial claims.
His legendary tag "Cornbread Loves Cynthia" marks the beginning of graffiti as a personal and creative act. Always on the lookout for new forms of expression, he even tagged an elephant at the zoo to disprove a false rumour about its death, a gesture that would later inspire Banksy's symbolic use of the elephant.
As the first graffiti artist to receive media coverage, he soon understood the power of the press and became a living legend, celebrated even in the Graffiti Hall of Fame. Today, he continues to pass on his art to younger generations.
The exhibition features a selection of original works on paper, and is accompanied by the book "Cornbread by Cornbread the Legend" by Maxitype, tracing his career and the impact of his style. The artist will be on hand for a signing session, a unique opportunity to meet the graffiti pioneer.
