Roman (1956-2016) was born in Los Angeles but moved to New York City in the early ’80s, where he worked as a bike messenger, delivering transparencies to Andy Warhol. There he became known rather quickly in the New York art scene for his stenciled graffiti and silkscreen designs, all of which leaned heavily on African and Aztec imagery. Roman tagged subway cars with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and worked for established designers such as Betsey Johnson and Kate Spade. After relocating to San Francisco, Roman entrenched himself in the Mission’s art scene, showing at the deYoung Museum and many local galleries, teaching art classes and still making art.
