Duel RIS was born in New York City in the early 70s, and spent his early years moving between the boroughs. Duel’s interests in art was piqued as a child, watching his mother paint oil on canvas. She was a fine arts teacher, and not only painted but sculpted as well. For a child with an eye and appreciation for art, New York City in the 70s, the whole city was a canvas. Parks, highways, public transportation – all covered in a new art medium that intrigued Duel. In 1984 he started writing graffiti and took the name Duel in 1986.

Duel began bombing neighborhood handball courts and local streets, and quickly progressed to rooftops, highways, trucks, subways – anything with shock value and notoriety. In 1987, influenced by Slayer’s Reign in Blood album and psychology courses, Duel formed one of New York City’s most notorious crews MCI (Most Criminally Insane).

By the mid 90s, graffiti had led the artist down a dark and narrow path. To straighten himself out, he gave up on graffiti and enlisted in the U.S. Marines. The artist participated in several campaigns and combat tours. After his third deployment, the artist began to paint again for therapeutic reasons. The artist is still currently serving and actively paints. The artist is a member some of the most respected New York City graffiti crews: RIS, TFP, TNR, TNS, and VTS…