Photo by John Meijas

NIKKO LOCANDER “ALI SIX”

Nikko Locander (b. 1993. Chicago, IL) also known by his artist moniker “Ali Six”, is a Puerto Rican contemporary artist and designer. Since a child he has ventured through his imagination illustrating unique cartoons and characters. Having no access to art courses or curriculum in high school, Locander took to painting the streets of Chicago. After realizing there was more to art beyond graffiti, he combined what he learned through aerosol art and his love of illustrating to create “Richie the Tanuki” , King the tiger”, “Prowl the panther”, and ”Louie the Coqui” . With those characters being the muses of Nikko’s work for some time; he has built a whole world with kids book’s to teach the youth how awesome it is to be creative. Those same characters in his kids books are also in murals all over the world and has become a staple of Chicago’s street art culture. When inspired, Ali Six is known to host exhibitions showcasing his multimedia interests utilizing acrylic paint, graphic design, hand sculpting, animation, tufted rugs, wheat pastes, and aerosol spray paint.

With all he has learned, Nikko also jumps into the contemporary world of art to speak on his Puerto Rican culture and Ethnicity. His mission is to teach viewers the history of the Puerto Rican’s, the impact they have served, as well as the hardships they have endured.