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ETERNAL

ELEMENTS
LESN101 + NAGO

NEXT SESSION
AUGUST 8 at 5-6:30pm


In this unique outdoor public event--taking place over 4 evenings from June thru October--audiences will experience the creation of a mural and sample-based tracks that emerge from the alchemical connection between NAGO and LESN101. These two Springfield artists compose paintings and songs alongside each other, showcasing their artistic processes in real time

In this latest iteration of their improvisational project ETERNAL, the artists draw inspiration from the classical elements of 
AIR, EARTH, FIRE, + WATER  
and demonstrate that the quality of composition is not governed by the complexity of materials, but by the strength of the cypher.

All events will take place on the public walkway behind A.P.E.’s Main Street Gallery (adjacent to the Armory St. parking lot)LESN101 makes art to free the soul. As a Lao American visual artist, LESN101’s work blends graffiti, abstract expressionism, and portraiture to explore themes of healing, empowerment, and self-liberation. Rooted in his family's history of survival—from his mother’s escape from Laos in 1976 to his own experiences with trauma and displacement—his art channels personal struggle into transformative expression. Drawing inspiration from hip-hop and graffiti culture, LESN101 uses bold colors and dynamic forms to create emotionally resonant pieces that invite introspection, connection, and growth.
NAGO makes music for ghosts. A sample-based hip-hop musician, NAGO collages audio into introspective sonic cinemas. Rooted in his upbringing in Springfield, Massachusetts, NAGO explores themes of family, solitude, classism, racism, and generational cycles. With an emphasis on the technology he uses, NAGO blurs time by shifting between rigid, computer-led patterns and soaring, abstract passages. NAGO is heavily influenced by both the foundations and future of hip-hop, and describes his work as an “abandoned factory machine learning to play jazz.”


SESSION No. 1

WATER


JUNE 13, 2025 





In session no. 1 of this unique outdoor public event, NAGO and LESN101 explored the elemental quality of WATER. 

LESN101’s mural, created in its entirity during the session, is on view on the garage door behind A.P.E.’s 126 Main St. location. Check it out before it is transformed during the next session of ETERNAL: ELEMENTS on August 8.

CLICK HERE to experience the fluid track created by NAGO during their watery session.


This project is supported by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, along with sustained support from Massachusetts Cultural Council and The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ Valley Creates program, and Commonwealth Murals.




A.P.E.'s programming is made possible in part by sustained support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.