Biography

La Mano Fria, a graphic designer/typographer, graffiti writer, record label owner, organizer and a NYC transplant based in South Florida / Tokyo. In the fall of 1996, Rice and Beans clothing first released at the legendary "Footwork" in NYC: record, clothing, sneaker store owned by Bobbito Garcia (Fondle 'Em Records, Nike, Adidas), then 2003-2011 releasing at Beams Records/Beams T clothing shop with stores from Harajuku, Tokyo to Hong Kong, China. La Mano Fria founded his own record label imprint in 1999 (starting with Beta Bodega, then Botanica del Jibaro, Rice and Beans, Arepaz, etc.), and designed numerous CD, 12" jackets, logos and t-shirts for his own artists as well as many others such as Prefuse 73, Common, Raekwon (from Wu Tang Clan), Pharoah Monche, Myka 9, The Last Poets, Dead Prez, Wee Bee Foolish, DJ 3000 and more. La Mano Fria has been featured on the front cover of Studio Voice magazine, as well inside Tokion, Fader, Remix, Blast, Massage, Woofin' and performed in festivals worldwide such as Sonar 2004 in Barcelona, Spain to Medelink 2008 in Medellin, Colombia. Art exhibitions include Auditorio Serralves 2005 in Portugal, Tag Gallery 2004 in Holland and Uplink Gallery 2005-2013 in Japan. In 2008 he became the first artist using gum tape x live graphic performances and toured throughout Puerto Rico, San Francisco (USA), Holland and Japan. Also founder of the Miami & Tokyo Beer Tour projects which have brought him to work artistically for Asahi, Kirin, Hitachino Nest Beer [Japan], Minerva and Magna [Mexico], Sweetwater, New Belgium Brewery and Hatuey [USA]. A culture consultant at Product 81 x South Florida Ford, co-creating the Ista Magazine and Infiltrate Zine. Together with his GPK graffiti crew, La Mano Fria is the founder and curator of the Purvis Young Graffiti Wall of Fame and organizes the Miami Beer Tour event in Miami's Wynwood Art District known as Sud Swap. After working with the Jets project at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, La Mano Fria has returned back to his underground record label roots. Starting 2 net and cassette tape labels, Sud Swap Audio Brewing and Botanica1. And organizing the annual anti-Winter Music Conference event known as Infiltrate in Miami which he started in 1998.