Man has been painting on walls, clothing, artifacts, and himself (or herself) since the beginning of time. Kids and grownups alike can’t resist the idea of a big blank wall and a crayon, even though their moms or the law have threatened consequences if they dare use those walls as big canvases. But these days, using almost everything as a potential canvas has not only become permissible; it’s become downright respectable.

Graffiti’s moment has come and designers are recruiting street taggers to customize even unexpected objects, turning them into functional works of art. Take a peek at how On Madison has paired ancient scripts with modern day items that are referencing these ancient languages in a fresh way.

Handwritten Japanese Katakana

Porter Teleo‘s “Signs and Signifiers” Hand Painted Wallpaper

Robert Loughlin‘s “The Brute” Chair via Casa Moderno

Porter Teleo‘s “Tangled” Handpainted Wallcovering

Ancient Pallava Script

Kelly Wearstler & Shantell Martin CollaborationEgyptian Hieroglyphs

Los Angeles graffiti artist RETNA paints the Pasadena Museum of California Art

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In keeping on trend with the graffiti craze, On Madison has commissioned local graffiti artist Peter Lloyd Jones (aka GUTS) to customize a late 19th century Asian scroll table as well as a pair of mid-century French Bergere chairs. We’ll unveil the smashing results in a future blog post a few weeks from now. Stay tuned!