Former 'YO! MTV Raps' host Fab 5 Freddy has announced that he will be opening a solo art exhibit in New York City this week.

The legendary hip-hop pioneer, downtown hero and graffiti artist, who is currently a featured artist in MOCA's 'Art in the Streets' street art exhibition, and was one of the first graffiti artists to appear in a gallery show, will be presenting his new solo show New York:New Work at Gallery 151 on Wednesday (June 8).

In New York:New Work, Freddy, born Fred Brathwaite, will be debuting a new style of mixed-media works on canvas, employing a modified pointillist technique using hand-laid lead crystals to create his work.

"More than any other individual, Fred was the one who made the introductions that linked uptown and downtown, rap and punk, and who articulated the connection between hip hop culture and wild style graffiti," writes MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch, in the introduction to the Gallery 151 show. "His new paintings are a platform for the convergence of all sides of his aesthetic. Just like Fred's personality, his new paintings are bold. He heats up one series with the sparkling bodies of boxers and exotic dancers. The works have the instant impact of the colorful cartoon figures that the Wild Style artists would spray paint on trains. They can make an impact when seen for only a minute and from a long distance."

New York:New Work opens on Wednesday (June 8), and runs through Friday (July 1), at Gallery 151, 350 Bowery between 4th st. and Great Jones, in downtown Manhattan.

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