Hello friends,

First off, a big thank you to everyone who’s been following along with our blog and staying up to date on what’s happening in our world—whether that’s art, life, or a bit of both. It's hard to believe we've been doing this for 17 years now, but I guess, like a fine wine, we’re getting better with time. That said, we wouldn't mind being a bottle of good ol' two-buck chuck. Remember when you could snag a bottle of that? It’s practically a treasure these days. Those bottles would disappear faster than you could say "art gallery vibes," and it’s those memories that we cherish from our old space—the perfect mix of great deals, great people, and an atmosphere full of artistic energy.

As we continue to grow, new things are always on the horizon, especially as we connect with artists near and far. One of the things we love most is working with artwork that not only brings us joy but also resonates with others. The sleepless nights are worth it when we see that our work impacts others the same way. There's something special about being in a physical gallery space, connecting with real people, and creating a space where they can explore and enjoy art.

Visit to Espokyo, shortly after seeing Lady Gaga get out of a taxi cab one block away from the main strip in Harijuku . Espo was making art while in the gallery, and takes time to chat with us.

Curating art shows and products that might one day become personal treasures (or even collectibles) is something we take a lot of pride in. It's why we’re so excited to share that we recently visited Stephen Espo Powers at his new space, Espokyo, in Tokyo. For those of you who might not be familiar, Espo’s career took off with graffiti in Philly, and his lettering and sign painting has since made its mark in cities around the world. He's worked on public art projects and even landed in museums, but we first met him years ago at the White Walls Gallery for his solo exhibition. That show was bombed with tags, throw-ups, and more tags—art everywhere, and we loved it. Right in the center of the room was a mountain of tires that echoed the vibes we’d find in Philly. Espo was also featured in the Beautiful Losers film and was a participating artist in the exhibition.

After checking out the exhibit, we stepped outside for some fresh air, and—no surprise—Espo and Mike Giant were walking up the street. We had to ask them for signatures, so we handed them a brown Trader Joe’s paper bag filled with leftover beer from the opening the night before. Classic move, right? I’m pretty sure they both had a beer on us, though to be honest, those days are a bit of a blur. Not long after, fans started showing up with their black books to get autographs. It was one of those moments where everything just clicked—a raw, unforgettable experience of getting a bag signed by two graffiti legends.

Before our visit to Espokyo, we ran into him at the SF MOMA for a solo exhibition. On that occasion, Espo generously handed us a zine of his latest publication, Free Ideas Must First Escape the Pen, straight out of his leather bag. This zine is a mind dump—sketchbook pages full of thousands of ideas and punchlines that might make you contemplate life or crack you up. We’re excited to have this zine available at Empire Seven Studios now, so swing by and pick one up—along with a cup of coffee from Tono Coffee.

Along with the zine, we have some other fun items for sale in the shop—sticker packs, pins, limited-edition zines, and pens. We hope these items bring a little joy your way, and, bonus, we’ve covered the shipping fees, so no need to worry about that.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Whether it’s here on the blog or in the shop, we look forward to seeing you soon!