News — Vertical Portraits

Mau Mau, whose latest Vertical Gallery solo showcase ‘#wishyouwerehere..’ runs through Saturday, Aug. 9, is synonymous with his wily, wisecracking fox character — and the character’s bushy-tailed inspiration, the red fox, is synonymous with the street artist’s native United Kingdom. 

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the lone fox species found in the UK, boasts a nationwide population of around 375,000, the largest natural distribution of any land mammal except humans. About one-third of these foxes live in urban environments, leveraging their resourcefulness and cunning to persevere despite omnipresent threats like road accidents, habitat loss and human persecution.

“The fox has always been a rebellious creature — wild and free,” Mau Mau says. “Since I’ve started painting the fox, I feel like he's taken over the town. They're everywhere now in London.”

Red foxes are opportunistic omnivores, consuming everything from rabbits to rats. Though primarily nocturnal hunters, they can be active during daylight hours, particularly in city settings. Some even demonstrate an interest in contemporary art. 

“The first time I painted the fox, a fox came and watched me paint it,” Mau Mau recalls. “I was painting away, and then Mo [fellow street artist Mighty Mo] said ‘Mau, you’re not going to believe this. Look behind you.’ It was crazy.”

Mau Mau’s new book ‘Talking Out of My Art’ reveals the fox was born from his need for an image he could paint quickly. Prior to the fox — which emerged around the time Mau Mau bombed walls alongside fellow graffiti icons like Banksy, Sickboy and Inkie — his subjects ranged from pop culture staples like Snoopy and Winnie the Pooh to the San bush people of southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert.

“I was always more motivated by the message rather than a specific tag, so I used to use a lot of characters from other people's stories — famous characters that would give me a narrative to work with,” Mau Mau says. “I've always loved cartoons, so it was great when I came to paint the fox. A cartoon fox is so neutral. You can make so many statements with it, without showing a bias. I love that.”

Click here to view the exhibition online

When Jenelle Forrester entered Vertical Gallery, she had no idea her life was about to change. 

Jenelle — the founder and president of NYC IT GIRL Collective, a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to forging deeper, more meaningful relationships between artists and the communities they call home — first visited Vertical’s flagship West Town location in October 2024, coinciding with the opening of Chicago illustrator, designer and muralist Blake Jones’ solo exhibit ‘B-Sides.’ 

“I was the first one there, and I was like ‘Oh, my goodness! I crashed this opening reception that I was not even invited to!’” Jenelle laughs. “But Patrick [Hull, Vertical’s owner and curator] and Laura [Catherwood, the gallery’s manager] were so welcoming and nice, and I was able to tour the space before others arrived. Then they said ‘Since you're here already, why don't you visit this art walk?’ And I said ‘What's an art walk?’”

Patrick and Laura handed Jenelle a map produced in conjunction with the West Town Chamber of Commerce’s First Fridays series, where on the first Friday of each month, neighborhood galleries and arts-themed businesses stay open until 8:00 p.m. to encourage patron engagement and exploration. Jenelle was instantly smitten. 

“You just walk around and see art. That’s it. There’s nothing to sign up for, and no group to join,” the lifelong art enthusiast explains. “I liked that it was a self-directed experience. I’m very independent, and I tend to trail off or stroll away in group settings, because I'm looking at something for longer than everyone else. I made the decision on the plane home from Chicago to bring the idea to New York.” 

NYC IT GIRL Collective will soon descend on Queens’ bustling Jamaica neighborhood to host the organization’s first annual IT WALK, a free, self-guided public art experience running Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 17. IT WALK features emerging artists from all five Big Apple boroughs, and exhibits their work across more than two dozen different small business locations along Jamaica Avenue between 146th Street and 171st Street — a pedestrian-friendly environment noted for its vibrant and dynamic atmosphere.

“IT WALK is my way to highlight and glorify New York City artists, and to remind people they don’t have to go to Manhattan to see art — there are four other boroughs here, too,” Jenelle says. “Everyone who attends is going to have a true, authentic New York experience. If you’ve ever been to Jamaica Avenue, you know it’s lit. There’s going to be so much happening.”

The Queens businesses participating in IT WALK stretch across an eclectic mix of verticals — retailers, restaurants, beauty salons, barbershops, etc. 

“NYC IT GIRL was created to bring attention to underfunded communities, and underfunded communities don't have galleries. Showcasing art inside of small businesses brings attention to the artists, the small business owners and the neighborhood as a whole,” Jenelle says. “IT WALK isn’t just about attracting people to Jamaica Avenue. It’s about getting them to spend money there, and giving them reasons to return when the art walk is over.” 

All IT WALK exhibitions and programming are free and open to the public. Event maps will be installed in all participating Jamaica Avenue locations, and NYC IT GIRL Collective is rolling out a digital map as well. 

Jenelle thanks Vertical and First Fridays for setting IT WALK in motion. “NYC IT GIRL was created to be a lifestyle brand. At first, art was just one part of it. But after I visited Vertical, everything just fell into place,” she says. “I want everyone in New York to feel what I experienced in Chicago.”