Zion & Bombshelter : At the heart of art in their subculture
Questions by Jonny Mac, Answers by Zion, owner & artist, Photos by Che Kothari
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On a trip to Toronto, about a year ago, I asked a friend for a store in Toronto that would be different from any other place I could go. A place that would really stand out. The place I had to go, he said, was Bombshelter down on Queen & Spadina. When I first met the shop owner, Zion, he had his dreads tucked into a hoody and came across as down to earth, culturally wise and deftly in tune with all things creative. He was very approachable and made his visitors feel a part of his family.

The thing I noticed most was how he filled the store, not with products he felt would sell, but more like that friend’s apartment who always has something you want to borrow or trade him. Seeing Zion’s art over town and in recent television appearances he brings a high level of intensity to his work and is a large supporter of things with creative value. Here’s what came from a few recent phone sessions:

When did you start writing?
I started writing in 1996, due to the fact that I was coming from questionable backgrounds and I was doing a lot of fuckery with my life. I seen a few people get busted and the ramifications of the lifestyle I was living, which made me choose the art I was doing wisely.

How long has Bombshelter been open?
It started in Hamilton, when my partner and I – my man spec 1 – he lived East Hamilton and I lived West Hamilton. And we had this job in downtown Hamilton during a bus strike in the middle of winter. Now we had to trek equal distances to the middle of Hamilton to get the job done.

(break to serve customers)

Yah Jon, ...so the job was in middle Hamilton during a snowstorm. It was that level of seriousness that led us to walk thru a snowstorm which led us to the idea of getting a studio based in downtown Hamilton - to create a shelter for us, a shelter for bombers. We found that studio and called it the Bombshelter.

How do you feel free art in public spaces affects its surroundings?
I believe it enhances tourism, it sparks inspiration, and brightens up our surroundings. I think it’s more for that youth coming up that don’t know how to express themselves instead of taking conventional routes doing portraits and taking art classes all their life – to have an art world that they can take part of. Unfortunately there are those that get misconstrued into the graffiti world thru vandalism. I think it is for us to help educate those that are doing the vandalism and those that create the vandalism that there is an art side to it.

Your shop, Bombshelter, has great merchandise for all types of creative people. What products would you recommend for someone :

. that has creative block
We got a ton of different media, whether it’s a magazine or a video. I think that these are the things that are best for creative block - to flip thru and see that there are no rules and regulations.

. who is looking for a fresh writing instrument?
Someone that wants to get up? Well, my favourite right now is Markal Paint due to the fact that they are affordable and the pigment is mad rich and mad firm.

. to play on the speakers for your girl
Well right now I’m starting to cut out the music selection in the store, but that’s an easy one. DJ Neil Armstrong is a favourite inside the store. Neil Armstrong is family and his mixtapes are just off the hook, every kind of mix from Wayney Wonder to Stevie Wonder

. to get you going on DVD
For folks that are jumping into Graffiti… (sorry just one second) yah, so on the video tip. There’s a GB #4 instructional video for amateurs – for the know how on how to DO graffiti.

What are your roots as an artist? What acted as a canvas for your early expressions?
Oh I’ve always been into art due to the fact that my father was an artist, but in high school my thing was film – I’ve always been into film. The Stanley Kubricks, Ridley Scott,m Francis Ford Coppola. It definitely helps out when it comes to the art. When it comes to graffiti art because I do a lot of characters. … it’s the ultimate medium, props, sets, lighting,

It’s what makes this world that I’m in a little more focused.

When you started outdoors what was your first instrument:
a spray can, a marker tip, or a paint brush?
We started out with shoe polish, straight up shoe polish tags.

Your shop has a great selection of music, was that important for you opening the shop that you tie in all aspects of culture?
The store is really, I’m not fully there yet, but it represents the arts in our subculture. All of those products where the one underliner is art behind it, that’s what the Bombshelter is about. The artist behind

What’s spinning on the store speakers today?
MF DOOM, no wait… we got Mad Villain on right now.

How’d you get involved with doing the mural for the Mario Video?
IIt’s kind of like that whole thing – if you build it they will come. So we started outr as THE graffiti shop and movie people come our way. The production teams can only do so much with their air brushes, their paint brushes. It’s usually at the end of the day and they need to get a certain look or feel, so they come to us to get that done.

(break to the other line) Yo Jon, I’m gonna have to take this call. Did we hit most of them?

Would you be cool with doing a Part Two later in the week?
Yeah, for sure, give me a shout back and we'll do that. And let's include that in the interview that we did it over the phone.

PT. 2

photos copyright of Che Kothari
This article produced by 6ix Degree Media