Jel Martinez also known as “Jel” was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Jel grew up in the predominantly Cuban-American neighborhood of Westchester and first noticed graffiti in the late 80s. Motivated by the tags in his area, Jel began writing with some friends for fun while still in elementary school circa 1989. Early on, Jel was influenced by local writers such as: Deed, DK, Doze, Meer, and Quatro to name a few. In 1993, Jel and lifelong friend Deed formed DGS (Da Graf Staff) and NCT (Notorious Crime Team) crews. In 1994, Jel became the youngest member of Ink Heads, an all-star collective of writers from Miami to NYC. Jel has been featured in many classic graffiti magazines such as Can Control, 12oz Prophet, Graff News, and Under Cover Magazine. His work has also been highlighted in various graffiti books such as: Miami Graffiti, Wynwood Walls, Flip the Script, and Miami Graffiti Art. In 2007 Jel went on a new endeavor in the fine art world. His paintings are referred to as 'The Buff' on canvas and his main focus is to bring the aesthetics and texture seen in the streets into his pieces. He has been a part of many well known galleries such as Locust Projects, Margulies Agency, Butter Gallery, Primary Projects, and The Museum of Graffiti. #artinterview #artinterviews #artistinterview #artistinterviews #graffitihistory #historyofgraffiti #arthistory #arthistorynerd #arthistorystudent #historyofart #historyofarts #miamihistory #historyofmiami #miamigraffiti #miamigraffitihistory #miamigraffitilegends #graffitimiami #wynwoodart #miami #westchester #inkheads #jelmartinez (at Miami, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVUbBuu8FY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
