In a few short weeks, an original mural will unfold at BMX racing track revealing another St. Albert untold story. Kerzeka, the commissioned artists, are charged with painting colourful, energetic images that wrap around three sides of the cinder-block BMX ramp.
The Canadian National BMX Championships will be held at the track on August 23 and 24. Even though the races are barely two months away, Kerzeka’s plans are being kept under wraps.
In day-to-day life, Kerzeka is an imaginative Calgary couple who combine their artistic monikers and fluid street styles. Kerz is Desiree Devloo and Zeka is Tiziano Lombardo.
Devloo originally hails from Manitoba and traveled solo overseas picking up an education at various ports of call. Lombardo, instead, is an Italian Canadian transplant who moved to Calgary to be closer to the mountains and nature.
“I knew deep down I should live in a natural state. When I go out in nature, I feel inspired,” said Lombardo.
He describes the couple’s style as “street art mixed with futurism, letters and tacky elements. I’m pretty fluid with my style. I can do different styles, and I fit in what I need to do. I just blend it all together,” Lombardo said.
Devloo agrees. “Nature influences our world and our community. I like to add calligraphy and intertwined words and things that go on in my life. I like to focus on portraiture as well as things that are abstract.”
Sharing an artistic vision, the couple feeds off each other's inspired contributions. In many ways they are each other’s ying and yang.
Devloo was always passionate about art, however she attended a small school with limited artistic opportunities.
“Formal education never resonated with me. My personal preference is learning on my own. I’m open to learning from the world as a teacher. If you are open to learning, the world will become your teacher.”
The duo met when Devloo worked at an art gallery, interviewing artists eager to display their achievements. Lombardo walked through the door.
“We kicked it off right away. We both wanted to be mural artists. He had a practice wall for a mural in downtown he was working on and invited me to it.”
While Devloo brings traditional beauty and grace to her work, Lombardo is the technological dynamo always reaching to take their street art to the next level.
During COVID, he became a self-taught 3-D programmer creating digital art, animation, and augmented reality. He even learned to manipulate a 3-D printer screen and laser cutter for wall-mounted art. This allows him to take artistic representations from past centuries and mix them with futuristic concepts.
“I love murals. It is art for the city instead of something private for someone’s living room. The murals you do uplift people. This is an important value to me. People take a picture, repost it and share it with friends. It’s cool to do art people can engage in,” Lombardo said.
The couple have built a solid reputation painting at organic events, graffiti jams and through business commissions. Their next step is media projection mapping, a system that projects optical illusions and augments a mural’s features and contours.
“After you paint a mural, the projection software allows you to trace the mural and play animation in different sections. It allows you to bring a mural to life.”
Lombardo has four succinct sentences of encouragement for street artists.
“Follow your dreams whatever they are. We live in an era where anything is possible. You have no excuse. Chase your dream.”
Kerzeka is expected to return to St. Albert by June 28 to start work on the ramp.
