STRAAT Museum's ESSENCE exhibition showcases graffiti's roots with Dutch Graffiti Library and Bill Blast.

On 10 April 2026, STRAAT Museum will unveil ESSENCE, an exhibition that delves into the cultural roots of graffiti, utilizing a 35-year collection from the Dutch Graffiti Library. This showcase charts the journey from the handball courts and underground scenes of New York to the rise of graffiti in the Netherlands, illustrating its evolution into a universal visual language that has shaped urban contemporary and street art. Notable New York graffiti artist Bill Blast (William Cordero) has contributed new artwork for the exhibition and will conduct a blackbook signing on Saturday, 11 April. ESSENCE emphasizes the fundamental aspects of graffiti—names, tags, strokes, and repetition—demonstrating how these elements create a distinctive visual language through line, form, flow, and rhythm. The exhibition features various objects, materials, and narratives that reveal graffiti's intentions, codes, and foundational elements.