Gregory Krikko Obbott

Gregory "Krikko" Obbott is a contemporary Nigerian-American artist and architect who is best known for his enormous pencil drawings of city-scapes. [Obbott, Gregory Krikko(1999). [http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.krikko.com KRIKKO Productions] . Retrieved August 19, 2008 from [http://www.archive.org The Wayback Machine] .] Some of his works are on display in large public transit hubs, and can be bought from vendors at tourist attractions such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Fifth Avenue, and the Skyscraper Museum. "Krikko" is the name he uses to sign all of his works.

Personal life

Krikko immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in 1974, and later attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana within the School of Arts and Architecture, graduating in 1981. [Missy (2003, January 10). [http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=141188 Who is Krikko Obbott and why do I care?] [MSG4] . Message posted to [http://answers.google.com/answers/index.html Google Answers] ] Since 1990, he has been living in New Haven, Connecticut, where he has continued making use of his architectural degree. In 2007Fact|date=August 2008 Krikko purchased the building of the former Hull Brewing Co. from the city of New Haven for $5,000. [Bailey, Melissa (2007, September 24). [http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2007/09/artist_builds_p.php Pencil Artist Builds Museum In The Hill.] Retrieved August 19, 2008 from [http://www.newhavenindependent.org New Haven Independent.org.] ] The building, located at 820 Congress Ave. atop "The Hill", had been abandoned since the closure of the brewery in 1977. At the time it was purchased by Krikko, the building was structurally unsound and littered with drug needles and animal waste. He plans to turn the building into "A Pencil Museum In the Hill;" a kid-friendly museum with a public gallery and studio space. The city of New Haven has embraced the project, as they seek to rebuild the surrounding area.

Outside of his profession as an artist, Krikko is a passionate jazz saxophonist, with alleged future plans to release a CD.

Notable Works

Krikko has produced over 15,000 drawings of city buildings, many drawn from postcards and photographs. He is currently producing work through Krikko Productions offices, located on Winthrop Avenue in New Haven, CT. Some of his works include:

* "Super Big Apple" (1995), a 15'x20' pencil drawing of Manhattan, NYC. [Radomsky, Rosalie R. (1997, October 26). Features Gregory Krikko Obbott and his drawing 'New YorkCity: Super Big Apple.' New York Times, 147(50957), p.8 sec.14, 1bw] The piece required 2,496 pencils to draw, and depicts over 10,000 buildings and 150,000 windows.

References