KRINK Craig Costello - BE@RBRICK
Craig Costello, also known as “KR”, is a popular artist known for his dripping graffiti designs and his own brand of ink called KRINK. As Medicom Toy continues to expand their collection of BE@BRICK figures, a figure inspired by KR’s style would be made by the company. This figure is simply titled “BE@RBRICK Krink 1000%”.
KRINK x Collaboration Background
The collaboration between Medicom Toy’s BE@RBRICK first began with the creation of a set of BE@RBRICK figures that was released in June 2019. As of early 2021, only one unique design inspired by KR’s style has been produced, though several different sizes have been made available for purchase.
Collaboration Planning and Launch
After Medicom Toy announced the collaboration on their official blog, customers could pre-order the KRINK BE@RBRICK set that was to be released in the following weeks. This set included both a 100% and 400% sized figure. In October 2020, however, a 1000% version of the figure was also released.
BE@RBRICK Krink 1000%
This BE@RBRICK features a black and silver color palette, resulting in a simple, yet visually appealing design. The top and upper body are silver and quickly begin transitioning to black as the silver color starts dripping toward the figure’s legs. It looks almost as if the figure was painted by KR himself, as dripping ink is one of the most prominent characteristics of his style.
One particularly noteworthy trait of this figure other than its design is its massive size. As a 1000% BE@RBRICK figure, this giant-sized work of art is over two feet tall, making it a great centerpiece for one’s collection. That said, this massive figure still has all of the classic BE@RBRICK features, like a pair of rounded ears, a tiny nose, and articulated limbs that can be moved into various positions.
- Product Name: BE@RBRICK Krink 1000％
- Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
- Specifications: Painted and articulated plastic figure
- Height (Approx.): 700 mm
About KR
Craig Costello, who often goes by KR, was born in the 1980s in the Queens borough of New York, where he grew up around other graffiti artists and skater culture. The local graffiti scene had recently moved from trains to the open streets, requiring artists to become more creative when it came to techniques and materials. Although KR moved to San Francisco in the 90s, he brought this innovation and freedom with him. KR opted to continue practicing on the streets, even though the graffiti scene in San Francisco mainly used parking lots and other dedicated spots. Eventually, through his extensive experimentation, he created his own ink. He would go on to call this ink “KRINK” and took it back with him when he moved back to New York. Today, KR has collaborated with companies like Nike to create unique, limited-edition products based on his drip graffiti style.
About KRINK
KRINK, the ink KR made to create his unique drip graffiti, was made in response to the changing needs of graffiti artists at the time. Since graffiti spots in New York changed from trains to the streets, many artists had to swap from using homemade markers to commercially produced paint markers for more mobility. That said, these markers still had their issues, which inspired KR to create his own ink while he was in San Francisco. After moving back to New York, he began bottling and selling KRINK with the help of the recently opened Alife store, which was becoming a hot spot for young, upcoming artists. Over a decade later, KRINK is now being shipped to countries around the world.
Other Important KR Artwork
Although KR is known for his drip graffiti and his brand KRINK, his collaborations with various companies have become quite popular as well. The following will showcase a few of these collaborations.
KRINK Mini Cooper S
This collaboration between KRINK and the car company Mini occurred in 2009 and involved covering a Mini Cooper S in KR’s KRINK. The jet black Mini Cooper S is the perfect background for the classic silver color of KRINK and offers an incredible contrast that emphasizes the long drips found on everything from the roof to the windows and even the headlights.
KRINK and Modernica
Modernica is a furniture company that has collaborated several times with KR to create chairs, tables, and other types of furniture with KR’s drip graffiti-style on it. In the past, KR helped paint a set of five chairs made by Modernica. These black fiberglass chairs were later displayed at the HVW8 Gallery in Los Angeles.
Related Figures
Fans of both modern artists and BE@RBRICK figures will be happy to learn that Medicom Toy has collaborated with many artists from around the world to add to the company’s popular line. Some examples include Andy Warhol, Fantasista Utamaro, Kosuke Kawamura, Stash, and many others. Those interested in collecting all of these figures will find that there is quite an impressive variety of styles from fine art to graphic design and graffiti.
Links
BE@RBRICK Krink 1000%
BE@RBRICK Series
Marilyn Monroe Andy Warhol - BE@RBRICK
Fantasista Utamaro - BE@RBRICK
Kosuke Kawamura - BE@RBRICK
Stash - BE@RBRICK
BE@BRICK Label