The Myth of Himbad

Later, Himbad let me in on some of the secrets of the 9th Wave. His oeuvres incorporate a variety of mythic elements. Quiet Celtic and Japanese backdrops are often contrasted against animated figures.

“I’m a fan of Joseph Campbell and Karl Jung. I like to see patterns within world mythology.”

In particular, Himbad is attracted to recurring themes and archetypal characters. Often overlooked, Celtic ideas played a foundational role in the U.K. as well as Himbad’s work. He alluded to the Roman suppression of the Celtic culture as one of the reasons it is not widely celebrated today.

“The [British] landscape is dotted with remnants from earthworks and stone circles… not much is known [due to] an oral tradition. Most of what we hear about them is racist nonsense written by Romans."

Himbad's work also has a strong Asiatic influence. “The Monkey is one of my favorite characters. So mischievous and funny.” He described the idea of ‘Himbad’ as a “cross between Monkey, Odysseus, and Sinbad the Sailor.”

During his tenure at 3RD ETHOS, Himbad collaborated with Outersource on a wall in the Lower East Side. Their styles play together well, Meowl perched against a cosmic backdrop. The character reminded me of Greek myth, where the owl symbolizes wisdom and knowledge. Himbad explained, “I like playing with meaning and interpretation. I’m aware of historical archetypes… I try to convey ideas on a subliminal level.” He continued, “I don’t like to be too literal… I prefer to leave interpretation to the eye of the beholder."

Like his paintings, Himbad cloaks himself in mystery. Part of this is pragmatic; hiding his identity allows him to avoid U.K. graft databases that track vandals. Another part of it allows him to see the true nature of people. At an art show there are the fakes, who will glow about an artist, and ignore anyone else. [Pulling what in the U.K. they call a ‘par.] Himbad likes to see how people react to him, before they know who he is.

The origin of Himbad came from stories he wrote. In one, the main character was named Himbad who traveled with his sidekick Dreamwise. Dreamwise possessed the power of prophecy, but only when he slept. While showing the story to a mate, his friend liked it; ‘that’s a sick name, I might use that.’ Himbad shot it down ‘Shut up, Bruv. That’s me.’ In that moment he chose the moniker. He grinned, “I went hard on Himbad ever since.” Silly as it seemed at first, Himbad began to grow into the identity. He realized its power.

“I love that symbols and words can hold many meanings.”

His distinct signature is made of kanji and ruins. Within it, he keeps a secret element. For the true of heart.