We were very excited to be invited to the exclusive opening of New York, New York: Big City of Dreams — a new exhibit at Hionas Gallery featuring artwork from our good friend Mr. Kaves from the Lordz of Brooklyn. Kaves has been around since the old days and literally grew up on the streets of New York with a spray can in his hand… until he eventually added a microphone and tattoo needle. Kaves has since become a modern day renaissance man locking down accolades as a painter, graffitist, tattoo artist, musician, Warped Tour veteran, filmmaker, actor and community activist. Not bad for a kid from the weedy streets of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. This is Mr. Kaves’ first solo exhibition in New York City and we expected a serious turn out ranging from the old school heads to hi rolling SoHo art collectors — and we were not let down. Rumor has it Damon Dash already picked out a piece or two during a sneak peek earlier this week.

Kaves rolled up like the pimp that he is in his classic ‘70s Caddy, along with one of his young sons dressed just like him, right down to his trademark fedora. The ever bubbling crowd included legendary artists Lee Quinnones and Haze, as well NYC tastemakers like uncle Craig Weatherby from The Good Life and a cast of tattooed scenesters that made short work of the open bar while taking in the impressive collection and beats.

New York, New York: Big City of Dreams includes four new large-scale acrylic paintings and ten mixed-media drawings from one of the city’s most celebrated, prolific and diverse artists. Throughout his career, Kaves has played the role of storyteller -—via music, film, design and art — and with these new works he once again conveys a storied, sometimes bittersweet tale of New York City life. The exhibition’s namesake portrays a weeping angel in the foreground of an abstruse, graffitied streetscape. In his other paintings, Kaves finds inspiration in some of New York’s most iconic figures, beginning with Biggie, a portrait of the late Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls); Baby It’s Cold Outside, a skewed cityscape of the Chrysler Building, viewed from street level; and That’s Life, a collage portrait of Frank Sinatra.

The show runs until August 13, 2011 at the Hionas Gallery. For anyone looking to get a piece of Kaves handy work that they can carry around with them (for the rest of their lives), Mr. Kaves also owns and operates Brooklyn Made Tattoo, an art, apparel and tattoo shop in Bay Ridge.

Photographs taken from the “New York, New York: Big City of Dreams” Exhibit Opening courtesy of Trevs @ thenewpop, plus images of Mr. Kaves art work exhibiting below that…