See Surrealist Street Art in Action at Dwell on Design Los Angeles

On Saturday, May 30, at Dwell on Design Los Angeles, local street artist Norm “Nomzee” Maxwell will spend the entire day creating a mural in real time as part of a live-painting demonstration on the show floor.

Upon completion of the mural, the piece will be transported to Freehab, the Teen Project’s Life Transformation Center in Sun Valley, which serves the area’s most vulnerable addicted and homeless youths. Maxwell’s mural will help decorate Freehab’s new trade school, which will teach residents basic technical skills under the auspices of director Lauri Burns. Using a palette of colors from Dunn-Edwards’ new Then, Now & Forever collection, Maxwell says his piece "will convey a message of harmony and nurturing strength."

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Norm "Nomzee" Maxwell's "Seven Eleven" is part of the Branded Arts Towers Project in Burbank, California.

Of a site visit to Freehab, Maxwell says he was "moved to find that so many of our youth are crossing into adulthood without the basic tools and support needed to become productive, self-sustaining members of society. As a parent of two teens, I understand the tremendous effort required to nurture a young life into maturity. It is important that every child has the opportunity to a smooth transition into adulthood in order to achieve their full potential."

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Maxwell, whose work is a commentary on social issues, mythology, and popular and urban culture, collaborated with a number of L.A. artists on the Living Mural at Dwell on Design 2013.

Dwell on Design attendees are encouraged to check in with Maxwell throughout the day as this inspiring project comes to life.

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Maxwell's early infatuation with the Surrealist movement, particularly its emphasis on liberating the subconscious mind, is realized in some of his current artwork, such as "Duality."

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Maxwell chose "Harmony" as a model for his Freehab project.

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The Philadelphia native moved to San Francisco after college and became one of the first urban art-inspired clothing designers in the Bay Area when he co-founded Revolution Clothing in the 1990s. After his move to L.A., he ventured into entertainment, contributing to commercials and music videos. "Horus" (pictured here) seems to encompass both of these worlds.

Brandi Andres
Brandi Andres is an editorial contributor, who first came to Dwell as the Los Angeles Editorial Fellow.

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