DabsMyla

DabsMyla (Dabs and Myla) are a husband-and-wife team of artists from Melbourne, Australia. They are known for their whimsical pop-art paintings and illustrations and 100% collaborative approach to their work, refusing to be individually credited.^[1] The two moved to Los Angeles in 2009 and have shared their work in massive, public formats from the walls of Rio de Janeiro, London, Detroit, Norway and Tahiti to downtown LA.^[2]

Dabsmyla create interactive and playful installations with paintings inspired by graffiti, mid-century illustration and the Golden Age of Comic Books era.^[3] In 2012 they created a custom mural for Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, Hello Art! event.^[4] In 2014 they created a large-scale installation for the first-ever Hello Kitty Con at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. They also designed and created the elaborate set of the 2015 MTV Movie Awards as well as the event’s logo and award statuette.^[5]

In 2015, DabsMyla transformed a 4,000-foot Spanish revival-style building in Los Angeles into the immersive installation Before and Further in collaboration with Modernica, the American Modernism furniture brand.^[6]

They have also been commissioned by large apparel and houseware brands such as Adidas and Sanrio.^[7]

In early 2016, DabsMyla painted colorful murals covering the outside of Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater, an iconic Los Angeles institution^[8] located in historic Filipinotown.^[9]

Exhibitions (Selected)

• MTV Movie Awards, Los Angeles, CA (2015)
• Before and Further, Modernica, Vernon, CA (2015)
• Hello Kitty Convention, MOCA Geffen Contemporary, Los Angeles (2014)
• Hello Kitty, Hello Art, Openhouse Gallery, New York (2014)
• 20 Years Under the Influence of Juxtapoz, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (2015)
• Cruel Summer, Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York (2014)
• Pow! Wow!, Honolulu Museum of Art, Hawaii (2014)
• San Francisco is For Lovers - White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2013)
• All Good Things – Metro Gallery, Melbourne, Australia (2013)
• Break Night Lovers – Known Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2012)
• Marvelous Expeditions: DABS MYLA and FRIENDS – Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2012)
• Double Diamond – M Modern Gallery, Palm Springs, CA (2011)
• Young & Free – White Walls Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2011)
• The Best Of Times – Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2011)

References

1. Ohanesian, Liz. "In the Industrial Wasteland of Vernon, a Kooky Pop Art Home That You Can Visit". LA Weekly. LA Weekly, LP. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
2. Tibbits, Ashley. "DABSMYLA's Modernica Factory Takeover in Vernon". LA Racked. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
3. Caro. "Dabs Myla Build Their Dream House at Modernica Factory in LA". HiFructose. Hi-Fructose The New Contemporary Art Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
4. Mahlmeister, Chrissy. "Graffiti Duo Dabs Myla Talk 'Hello Kitty, Hello Art!' Installation, Betsey Johnson Makes Appearance". MTV. MTV News. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
5. Simpkins, Greg. "In the Magazine: Dabs Myla". Juxtapoz Magazine. Juztapoz, Inc. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
6. Boone, Lisa. "Time is running out to see how artists Dabs Myla magically transformed this Vernon building". LA Times. LA Times Media Group. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
7. Martinez, Alanna. "Meet the Street Artists Behind the Logo and Stage for the 2015 MTV Movie Awards". Observer.com. Observer Media. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
8. Pool, Bob. "Bob Baker dies at 90; puppeteer ran beloved theater, worked with movies". LA Times. LA Times Media.
9. Bloom, Ellen. "Theater Mural". Ellen Bloom. Ellen Bloom. Retrieved 16 May 2016.