Abdullah Ahmed Khan (, born 1990)Qamar, Saadia (July 30, 2012)
Sanki King’s graffiti knows no boundaries
, ''

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Lakson Group'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the '' Intern ...

''. professionally known as Sanki ( ) or Sanki King is a

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

calligraffiti Calligraffiti is an art form that combines calligraphy, typography, and graffiti. It can be classified as either abstract expressionism or abstract vandalism. It is defined as a visual art that integrates letters into compositions that attempt to ...

and

street artist A street artist is a person who makes art in public places. Street artists include portrait artists, caricaturists, graffiti artists, muralists and people making crafts. Street artists can also refer to street performers such as musicians, acr ...

, occasionally painting live as part of his exhibits, and collaborating with fashion designers featuring his artwork. He has also works in sneaker art,

sticker art Sticker art (also known as slaps in a graffiti context) is a form of street art in which an image or message is publicly displayed using stickers. These stickers may promote a political agenda, comment on a policy or issue, or comprise a subcatego ...

b-boying Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City. Breakdancing consist ...

and

parkour Parkour () is an athletic Training#Physical training, training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called ''traceurs'') attempt to get from one point to another in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

.Nasir Ahmad, Fouzia (December 22, 2013)
Don't call me Banksy
, ''

DAWN Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...

''.Mustefa, Zab (July 22, 2012),
Street Smart, Cover story
, ''

''.Ahmed, Talha (January 22, 201
'SANKI' COLORS IT ALL: THE FIRST GRAFFITI ARTIST OF PAKISTAN
, ''Youlin Magazine''.Varma, Nandini (May 25, 2014)
Graffiti artist brings hip hop to the streets
, ''Campus Diaries''.

Early life

Sanki was born in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

and raised in Karachi, Pakistan. His father worked at the

Islamic Development Bank The Islamic Development Bank (, abbreviated as IsDB) is a multilateral development finance institution that is focused on Islamic finance for infrastructure development and located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There are 57 shareholding member st ...

. Both his art teachers and father encouraged him to pursue art.Husain, Marjorie (June 12, 2016)
Portfolio: The writing on the wall
, ''

''. He was also interested in

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...

, boxing and floor gymnastics.

Career

While playing

Counter-Strike ''Counter-Strike'' (''CS'') is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games, in which opposing teams attempt to complete various objectives. The series began on Windows in 1999 with the release of the first game, '' Counte ...

as a teenager, another player described him as ‘Sanki’ (eccentric, slightly mad) and he adopted it as his moniker. The artist claims it also means 'deep thinker'. In 2008, Sanki started his career as a professional performing artist after being photographed by

Tapu Javeri Tapu Javeri (Urdu: ; born Mustapha Farabi Javeri on 5 May 1965) is a Pakistani fashion and art photographer, radio host, television judge and jewellery designer. He works as a freelance photographer and was the photo editor of the Xtra magazi ...

while

freerunning Freerunning is an athletic and acrobatic discipline incorporating an aesthetic element, and can be considered either a sport or a performance art, or both. Freerunning is similar to parkour, from which it is derived, but emphasizes artistry over ...

in a park in Karachi, later performing at the launch of

Style 360 Hum Network Limited () is a Pakistani media company based in Islamabad, Pakistan. It was established in February 2004 by Sultana Siddiqui. It’s also powered by Zee Network. It is a current member of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (APBU), A ...

. From 2011, he became a professional artist, selling artwork and painting commissioned murals, and in March 2012 started his own personal studio where he works .

Graffiti

Sanki did "live graffiti art" for the first time in Pakistan in July 2012 and in the same month launched his Sticker Art Movement through designs which feature

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...

, the founder of Pakistan. In December 2012, he was chosen as the judge for a nationwide graffiti competition spread across seven cities.Staff Reporter (December 23, 2012)
Tetra Pak Graffiti Competition
''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

''. Some of his well-known works include ''Love Karachi'' on a bus and another, titled ''Flying Kiss'' which he painted outside the

Arts Council of Pakistan The Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi (''Urdu'': آرٹس کونسل آف پاکستان کراچی), also known as ACPKHI, is the finest non-profit organization (NPO) in the country today when it comes to performing and fine arts. With state-o ...

in 2013. He painted the tallest graffiti in Pakistan in 2014 at the Valika Cricket Ground, University of Karachi. His creations can be seen in the areas

Nazimabad Nazimabad (, ) is a suburb of Karachi, Pakistan. It was established in 1952, and is named after the second Governor General of Pakistan Khawaja Nazimuddin. Nazimabad is located in Liaquatabad Town. One of the largest government own hospitals in K ...

North Nazimabad North Nazimabad () is a suburb of Karachi, Pakistan. North Nazimabad was developed in the late 1950s as a residential area for the employees of the federal government of Pakistan, and was named after Khawaja Nazimuddin who was the second Governor- ...

Zamzama The Zamzama Gun, also known as Kim's Gun and Bhangian di Top, is an 18th-century large-bore cannon. It was cast by the metalsmith Shah Nazir of Lahore in about 1757, during the Durrani period. Currently on display in front of the Lahore Museum ...

and Clifton outside the Sanat Gallery, painted at the opening of his very first solo exhibition, "You should know him by now", on the 4th of June 2016.A Correspondent(June 9, 2016
Word on the street: Bringing graffiti art into mainstream
, ''

''.Khan, Nimra (June 10, 2016)
Pakistan's First Serious Graffiti Artist Sanki King Enters The Art World With His First Exhibit
, ''

''. King is the only Pakistani artist to have been invited to graffiti crews Beyond Mankind Krew (BMK, founded 1991,

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

) and Experienced Vandals (Ex-Vandals, founded 1979,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

). Ex-Vandals is one of the first graffiti crews in the world.A Correspondent (June 30, 2015)
Multi-talented Pakistani Street Artist 'Sanki King' excels nationally and achieves international recognition as well!
, ''House of Pakistan''. Sanki's work is featured in Nicholas Ganz’s book, ''Street Messages'', published in April 2015.Subzwari, Shanzay (May, 2015)
Sanki King: The Graffiti Artist Mastermind
, ''ArtNow Magazine''.Qamar, Saadia (April 17, 2015)
From shadowy times to vivid walls
, ''

''. In 2017, he collaborated with Mumbai-based artist Zeenat Kulavoor for Urdu calligraphic conversation project ''Pehle Aap''. He also participated in Karachi Biennale 2017 with his work ''Mind Palace''.

Gallery art

An original piece of abstract art by King was included in a group exhibition at

Louvre Abu Dhabi The Louvre Abu Dhabi (; ) is an art museum located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It runs under an agreement between the UAE and France, signed in March 2007, that allows it to use the Louvre's name until 2047, and has ...

from February to June 2021.

Custom-painting and fashion

Sanki King is known for his

art designs for

sneakers Sneakers (American English, US) or trainers (British English, UK), also known by a #Names, wide variety of other names, are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but are also widely used for everyday casual ...

, using

paint Paint is a material or mixture that, when applied to a solid material and allowed to dry, adds a film-like layer. As art, this is used to create an image or images known as a painting. Paint can be made in many colors and types. Most paints are ...

marker pen A marker pen, fine liner, marking pen, felt-tip pen, felt pen, flow marker, sign pen (in South Korea), vivid (in New Zealand), flomaster (in East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic countries), texta (in Australia), sketch pen (in South ...

s and

stencils Stencilling produces an image or pattern on a surface by applying pigment to a surface through an intermediate object, with designed holes in the intermediate object. The holes allow the pigment to reach only some parts of the surface creatin ...

. He now runs his own company making custom-painted sneakers and apparel, as well as organizing dance and graffiti workshops. In 2014, Sanki worked for the first time with a local designer brand Zeb-Tan. He collaborated with The House of Arsalan Iqbal for the collection ‘Desirably Distressed’, which came out in March 2015. He said, “In 2012, I painted a shutter in Arsalan Iqbal’s store. Since Iqbal travels a lot, he finds graffiti very inspiring. Then in May 2014 we worked on a collaborative venture for the next 10 months” Desirably Distressed, Issue 81, page 54. March 22, 2015
, ''Paperazzi Magazine''. Another collection of footwear and jewellery incorporating his designs "Devolution Chic" was showcased a month later at the 8th

PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week PFDC Fashion Week is an annual fashion week held in Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan. The event is organised by the ''Pakistan Fashion Design Council'' (PFDC) along with the sponsor of Sunsilk. 2010 1st PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week was held on Fe ...

2015.Press Release (April 22, 2015)
PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week: Day-4 Journal
, ''

Pakistan Today ''Pakistan Today'' is a Pakistani English-language daily newspaper, published by Nawa Media Corporation from three Pakistani cities Lahore, Punjab; Karachi, Sindh; and Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory. The newspaper later launched a busin ...

''.Fayyaz, Yousaf (April 21, 2015)
House of Arslan Iqbal At PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2015
, ''Ebuzz Today''.

B-boying and parkour

In 2008, King began a

crew in Karachi who organized as Unknown Crew (UC) in 2010. They have performed for

Jaag TV GNN News HD, commonly known as GNN, is a Pakistani 24-hour news and current affairs channel based in Lahore, Pakistan. It is owned and operated by Gourmet Foods. It was launched in 2005 as CNBC Pakistan under a license from CNBC Asia Pacific ...

(previously known as CNBC Pakistan),

HP Inc HP Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multinational information technology, information technology company with its headquarters in Palo Alto, California, that develops personal computers (PCs), printer (computing), printers and re ...

Caltex Caltex is a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation used in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Southern Africa. Headquartered in Singapore, it is also the brand name of non-Chevron petroleum companies in some countries (such as ...

, Play TV,

Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony which has been held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The ceremony celebrates "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, such as Cinema of Pakistan, cinema, television in Pakistan, television, Pa ...

and a number of music videos.

Personal life

Sanki King lives and works in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

References

Sources

* * * * * * ;Books * * * * *

External links

*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Sanki Living people Pakistani graffiti artists 1990 births Pakistani contemporary artists 21st-century Pakistani painters 21st-century Pakistani male artists Artists from Karachi Traceurs Pakistani painters Pakistani artists Calligraffiti artists