The Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn is known as New York’s booming artist district, where tourists and art lovers can admire paintings and other artworks at numerous studios as well as nearly everywhere they set foot. When Simon Grendene arrived in New York some 15 years ago, he never suspected that his works would later on adorn the walls and façades in not just Bushwick, but all over the world.

Change of plans
Simon Grendene was born with the artist gene. His mother was a painter herself, his father a graphic artist. So it’s no surprise that, as a child, he named drawing and painting as his favourite hobbies. After graduating from the Liceo Artistico, a fine arts high school in Zurich, Grendene applied to several art colleges. His selection criterion: The language of instruction had to be English. Following trips to England and the USA, he opted for the Art Center College of Design in California, where he began his studies exactly 20 years ago. The training lasted three-and-a-half intensive and challenging years. His plan at the time: “I wanted to go back to Switzerland with an inter-national degree in my pocket.” But as so often in life, things turned out differently. After graduating with distinction, the Swiss artist started receiving job offers that were simply too enticing. He worked as a graphic artist in various advertising agencies and later as an art director. His location of choice: New York City. Grendene experienced his first  year on the East Coast in a continual state of exhilaration. “A truly inspiring city. Especially in the creative sector, it’s the ideal place because there are so many opportunities. But it isn’t easy either, since there are so many talented people here and there’s a lot of competition. But besides this respect, I’ve always had the feeling that everything is possible!”

From graphic designer to artist
The unexpected death of his father gave the young adopted New Yorker pause, and he decided to take a break. On a trip around the world, he came to the realisation that “art is what I always wanted to do”. Back in New York, he teamed up with  his  colleague  Victor Anselmi to launch a street art business in their own basement, starting with their very first silkscreen designs. “We wanted to make our art accessible to the public quickly and easily. Inspired by street art, we chose the silkscreen method so we could readily duplicate our subjects.” Their works mix pop art culture with abstract icons from advertising and comics. “At the beginning we placarded walls and façades throughout New York. Each time we travelled, we took along our printed posters and hung them in the  streets  of  Zurich,  for  example,  or Florence or Hong Kong. We thus gradually made a name for ourselves until we had our first exhibition in Denver in 2011.” The duo’s works were presented in the Black Book Gallery under the title “Down to Earth”. If you meet the 42-year-old Swiss artist today, it’s clear at first sight that he is an artist to the core, sporting loose-hanging jeans and a hoodie –both speckled with splashes of paint. But he is also a businessman: “In order to make a living with art, you have to be able to market it.” And that’s precisely what he and his business partner Victor Anselmi have been very successful at doing. In 2012, fashion designer agnes b. discovered the two artists’ work in the streets of New York and was so excited that she collaborated with them on a fashion line. After this cooperation they received a large commission from Swedish company Spotify in 2013, for which the artist duo designed the murals for the streaming service provider’s conference rooms at  its  New  York headquarters.  They had made their break-through.

A piece of home
Today, they have long since outgrown the con-fines of their basement in order to meet the growing demand for paintings, murals, canvases, and other art projects. For six years now, the artist duo has operated a studio in the centre of Bushwick under the label ASVP. Grendene also works on various design projects and designs company logos and CD covers, among others. But as wonderful as it may be to make a living from what one loves, the Swiss artist living in New York also has a tinge of wistfulness:“ At heart I’m a European. I miss Switzerland, its nature, its tranquillity, and, of course, my family. I fly home two or three times a year, go sailing or climbing, and enjoy the mountains and the lakes.” But for the occasions when Switzerland is too far away, he has also found some places in New York where he can relax. “I love the water. In summer, I enjoy the nearby beaches on Fire Island, Rockaway peninsula, and in Montauk.” In these places, he forgets for a moment that New York is waiting just around the corner. The city that never sleeps, but where some dreams really do come true!