Cryptik – Sacred Street Art

Written by René Ricardo Bernal. | On the cover: Picture by Darwin Doleryes.

Mandalas are spiritual symbols serving as a guidance tools representing a wide array of spiritual connections. The Mandalas’ aesthetic and spiritual value were a great source of inspiration for the creation of Mantradalas by street artist Cryptik.

Photo by Sofie Hojabri.

Expressing his journey and bank of personal experiences, Cryptiks’ Mantradalas help him reach a deeper understanding and obtain a greater connection to the universe. Since 2008, the Los Angeles-based artist has been working in the street art scene across the West Coast and around the World, sharing the Cryptik Movement he defines as follows:

The Cryptik Movement is dedicated to helping humanity evolve towards greater awareness and understanding through public art. The purpose of the Movement is to facilitate the development of a deeper, more meaningful philosophy of life; one that encompasses many ideologies, philosophies, and belief systems in order to help us better understand our connection to one another, the planet and the Universe.

The Mantradalas are a combination of spiritual and street art elements. Inspired by ancient scripts like Sanskrit, Arabic, Hebrew and Hindi, his artworks explore the diversity and richness of cultures around the World. By adding a touch of the Cholo style to it, Cryptik gave birth to his own calligraphy.

Video by Chopemdown Films.

Cryptik’s work is characterized by an elaborate form of calligraphy, a technique that he picked up through his fascination with graffiti culture. Instead of spray paint, Cryptik’s weapon of choice is a paint brush with acrylic paint. Public art has always been the muralist’s vocation. It is, for him, the best way to share his vision with a larger public and having an everlasting impact on whoever gets a chance to behold his art. 

Photo by Gaspard Nahems.

Cryptik is mindful of his environment, ensuring cohesiveness of new pieces with their surroundings, the atmosphere, vibe, and space. Occasionally, subtle touches, such as quotes from Buddhist, Hindi poems, or even, popular songs lyrics, give a personal feel to the artwork.

From street art festivals to commercial work, the Californian native is often commissioned to create his signature Mantradalas, bringing this unique spiritual experience to many different places around the world. This past summer, the Cryptik Movement made a stop at MURAL’s sixth edition to create the “Sacred Syllables” wall which now decorates the back of Station 16 Gallery.

Most recently, he was also part of the Crush Walls’ festival in Denver, Colorado; spreading  the Cryptik Movement a little more all over the World.