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John Matos AKA CRASH is a graffiti writer from the Bronx, New York.

Regarded as a pioneer of graffiti, he became initially noticed through his murals on dilapidated buildings and tags on train carriages. He started tagging from age 13, taking the name ‘Crash’ after accidentally crashing a computer at his school. 

By 1980 he had transitioned from painting on the streets to showing his work in galleries, later that year he curated the groundbreaking ‘Graffiti art success for America’ exhibition at Fashion MODA. His fame quickly rose to international levels, his work becoming part of many permanent collections worldwide and being shown as part numerous exhibitions to showcase the importance of graffiti culture. 

CRASH notably went on to design a total of 5 custom Fender stratocasters for Eric Clapton, one of which would go on to be auctioned for £246,000. He has also collaborated with Levis, Absolut vodka and Tumi luggage. He featured heavily in 2019’s ‘Beyond the streets’ exhibition, further cementing his reputation as one of the most prolific street artists in the world.