SEK was born in Lincoln Heights on February 14, 1989. He began painting and writing graffiti at 16, channeling his energy into the streets. After a few setbacks with the LAPD, he stepped back from art entirely, taking a hiatus that allowed him to reconsider his path. At 19, he returned to his practice under the alias SEK, an abbreviation that nods to "second chances," fleeting "seconds in time," and the layered idea of "SEKcess" (success), with meanings as fluid as his style.

Over the years, SEK has become known for his distinct, text-heavy abstract compositions that blend cubist influences with a gritty, lyrical style. His signature approach of crossing out, rearranging, and manipulating words and phrases gives his work a raw, almost urgent feel. Each piece is loose yet thought provoking, inspired by philosophy, mathematics, science, poetry, emotion, and lived experience. "I want my art to make people stop and actually stare at it," SEK explains. "I want them to take it all in, work it out like a puzzle or a math problem. As long as it makes them feel something, or relate to it, or walk away with a piece of it, I know I've accomplished what I set out to do."hat I s