TreyofAsh

Smokey Devil (Artist)

aka James Hardy

Born: April 11 1969

Canadian DTES (Downtown Eastside) - located in Vancouver B.C. Canada - graffiti writer

Smokey Devil has been creating murals for the residents of Vancouver’s troubled Downtown Eastside for over 25 years. His murals warn the local 5,000 + drug users of the dangers of drug use, using alone as well as creating memorial murals for lost loved ones of the resilient and vibrant community.

Many of Smokey’s murals can been seen in many filmS that is shot in Vancouver’s DTES (Hollywood North). Vancouver’s DTES is often used as a USA double for background in film. Due to the American dollar going further in Canada and the quality of Vancouver’s amazing film and production services available.

Smokeys Murals can also be seen in many news casts, news special reports and documentaries (Such as the award winning film - Through a Blue Lens) based on the addiction and troubled history of the DTES.

Many times SMOKEY DEVIL’s graffiti and mural artwork goes uncredited.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_a_Blue_Lens

http://www.vancourier.com/news/dtes-graffiti-artist-smokey-d-earns-permission-to-paint-opioid-crisis-memorial-1.22230894

https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/vancouver-drug-users-group-vandu-has-led-prevention-policy/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-street-artists-transform-vancouvers-downtown-eastside-alley/

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/downtown-eastside-graffiti-artist-smokey-d-sheds-light-on-fentanyls-gloomy-toll

https://604now.com/smokey-d-battles-vancouvers-fentanyl-crisis-with-art/

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/daphne-bramham-as-the-opioid-crisis-grinds-on-we-need-national-consensus-on-drug-policy

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/drug-users-take-to-vancouvers-back-alleys-to-help-peers-stay-alive

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-what-i-saw-in-a-day-on-the-downtown-eastside-shocked-me/

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/vancouver-street-artists-provide-coronavirus-advice-to-canada-s-most-vulnerable-communities

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/downtown-eastside-advocate-wants-fewer-cars-more-people-on-hastings-street-1.4983152?cache=yes%3Fclipid%3D104056%3FclipId%3D375756

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Graffiti-of-policing-in-the-alley-behind-the-Street-Market-Smokey-D-artist-Alley_fig2_335906773

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/documentary-fentanyl-vancouver-2017

https://dtescollaborative.org/toro-project/

https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/10/24/bcs-average-life-expectancy-drops-for-first-time-in-decades-due-to-surge-in-overdose-deaths.html

https://globalnews.ca/news/3481438/vancouver-police-support-giving-addicts-clean-drugs-as-more-overdose-deaths-recorded/

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/pkek7g/a-vending-machine-in-canada-is-dispensing-a-drug-twice-as-strong-as-heroin

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/nowornever/how-to-unleash-your-inner-artist-1.3995740/pov-21-of-my-friends-died-from-fentanyl-overdoses-now-i-paint-murals-to-stop-others-1.3997737

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/mobile/memorial-mural-unveiled-to-honour-victims-of-overdose-deaths-1.5087083#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=Facebook&_gsc=guzHXNS

https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/09/01/Downtown-Eastside-Residents-Pay-Tribute-Overdose-Loss/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/canada/british-columbia/article-andres-project-brings-basic-supplies-kindness-and-hope-to-the/