Taj Eye (ZAPS) is an artist from Bellingham, Washington, specializing in spray paint and street art. His passion for graffiti and street art began at the age of five when he first saw it on the walls of Tacoma, Washington, where he was born. At the time, he didn’t fully understand what it was—only that it captivated him.

In 1990, his family moved to Bellingham, and during his teenage years, he became involved in tagging, which occasionally led to trouble with the law. Before entering high school, Taj experienced a tragic event that deeply affected him.

“Art was always my safe place. I didn’t think I was very good back then, but I knew I was creative, and I knew that creating and learning new artistic techniques made me feel good.”

After another tragedy Taj attended a fine arts college in Seattle, where he was accepted to start in 2006. Initially, he intended to major in painting but ultimately chose fine art photography and video instead.

“I always knew I was going to paint, but I wanted to learn something new that could help me better document my art. I had an eye for photography and video growing up on a skateboard. Since I wasn’t as good at skating as my friends, I thought my calling might be to become a skateboard filmer—even though I don’t really do it anymore skateboarding will always be my first love.”

Today, Taj has painted numerous residential murals and a few public ones in Bellingham. He hopes to expand his work across the country and, eventually, around the world.