CHITO mostly keeps to himself but recently his work has been everywhere. Indeed, CHITO's smirking, airbrushed figures have graced NFT-ized collaborations with Supreme (and Yohji Yamamoto) and Veilance and just this past month took over a fully-fledged Givenchy line. The artist doesn't often sell his works or the wearables that he tags but, finally, CHITO's fans can actually own a piece of his legacy with CHITO: One.
"I feel like I haven't really told my story, but there are parts of my practice that people should know about and want to know about," CHITO tells Highsnobiety. CHITO: One sheds a bit of light on his practice. It's the first in an eventual series of documents that catalog the 24-year-old's output, a self-published tome 264 pages deep and packed with lavish photographs of his work, tagged garments, and never-before-seen sketches.
From CHITO's early works in 2014 to the explosive popularity of his 2018 Supreme collaboration, the book is a breakdown of the Seattle-born, Mexico-based artist's first four years.
A core intrigue of CHITO's efforts hinges on the intersection of "street" culture and exclusive opulence, evidenced by his predilection for airbrushing boisterous single-tone illustrations atop fancy accessories and apparel.
CHITO has shown his works in galleries but its more visceral than collectible, the kind of art that has a life beyond the canvas. The bulldogs, people, and other critters that CHITO concocts speak to raucous youth abiding by no one else's rules, so their juxtaposition atop reclaimed luxury goods was raw and energetic.
Recent fashion co-signs — from Matthew Williams in particular — make it clear that the establishment recognizes that appeal.
"I felt like a book was something I always wanted to do," continues CHITO. "I didn’t want to make a zine or anything. I wanted to skip that, and just make something that represents my work and could be something that people would hold onto to be able to really dive in."
CHITO: One features contributions from stylist and creative director Mellany Sánchez and curator Bergen Hendrickson, who helped put together CHITO's show in Mexico City.
CHITO's website will launch CHITO: One on August 5 for $100 and it'll hit stockists on August 7. First printing books include a tagged escapulario necklace to both sweeten the pot and underscore CHITO's roots in Mexican culture.
