“STORYBOOK” NUNO VIEGAS
““This body of work revolves around graffiti — but this is not graffiti. Like Magritte’s famed Ceci n’est pas une pipe, these are not literal depictions but reimaginings. A visual translation of street culture into fine art.””
Opening Reception:
Saturday, April 5 | 6–10pm
On View: April 5 – April 26
Venue: Thinkspace Projects
Portuguese artist Nuno Viegas returns to Thinkspace Projects this spring with Storybook — a deeply personal and poetic reflection on identity, rebellion, and generational legacy. This exhibition is more than a visual homage to graffiti culture; it is an intimate journal entry on canvas, a quiet but powerful love letter to the past, the future, and the stories that connect them.
Known for his hyperclean aesthetic and signature hooded figures, Viegas invites us into a world where graffiti becomes metaphor — not just an art form, but a language of brotherhood, rebellion, and reflection. In Storybook, we witness the artist navigating the duality of being both a father and a former graffiti writer — two roles marked by care, risk, and an acute awareness of time.
“This body of work revolves around graffiti — but this is not graffiti,” Viegas says. Like Magritte’s famed Ceci n’est pas une pipe, these are not literal depictions but reimaginings. A visual translation of street culture into fine art.
Symbols and Subtext
Storybook introduces new and evolving visual motifs that layer the exhibition with meaning:
The Graffiti Writer (Hooded Figure) — faceless, yet iconic. These anonymous characters embody a universal truth in the graffiti world: you are known not by your face, but by your mark. They represent a culture where social barriers dissolve, and identity is found not in status, but in style.
The Paper Plane — born from a casual moment in a Rotterdam studio, this folded, flying form symbolizes possibility. Every piece of art begins as a scribble, a thought. The plane asks: Will you let your ideas fly, or will you leave them behind?
The Paper Crown — fragile, but weighty. A crown made not of gold, but of recognition. In the graffiti scene, being named a "King" holds no monetary reward, but speaks volumes in respect. These crowns symbolize the rare honor of being both invisible and unforgettable.
The Latex Gloves — quiet but expressive. Hands, often hidden behind gloves for protection or anonymity, become tools of connection. With LOVE GLOVES, a new series debuting in this show, Viegas uses gloved hands to form universal gestures of love — a subtle, sincere tribute to empathy in a fragmented world.
The Toy Train — introduced for the first time in Storybook, this element fuses childhood wonder with urban edge. Toy letter trains spelling out graffiti words create a bridge between innocence and rebellion, fatherhood and artistic identity.
A Story Passed On
What makes Storybook so compelling is its duality — it’s a show built on the tension between anonymity and legacy, action and reflection. Viegas distills the rebellious ethos of graffiti into a clean, almost meditative visual language, asking the viewer to consider: What do we pass down? What stories do we leave behind?
In an era obsessed with individualism, Storybook offers an alternative vision — one of collectivity, connection, and quiet revolution. It's a reminder that the most impactful stories often come from those who choose to remain unseen.
Whether you're rooted in street art culture or encountering Viegas' work for the first time, Storybook is an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to find meaning in the spaces between rebellion and responsibility, creation and care.