August 12-18, 2004

artpicks

Hanging in the Balance

art

Meezan is Arabic for "balance," so it's no surprise Meezan artcouture is proud of its mix of the marketable with the imaginative. The company line is "hip-hop and pop culture made into artwork you wear," says head designer Bariq Cobbs of their hand-painted originals. "People react well to our stuff. But truly our company is about pushing creativity, doing something next that you would not have expected." Cobbs and co-founders Mark K. Allen, Kenya Abdul Hadi and Ibn Anderson — all of whom might be better known for the "urban edge" of their former banner, Miskeen Originals — are looking to grow. The Meezan clothing line "transcends boundaries thought to have been set in stone the same way that art does," says Allen. The company's T-shirts and such reverberate with references to pop art and nu-fashion cues and design. "We are willing to go the extra mile by spreading a thought of individuality."

"One of One," opening reception, Sat., Aug. 14, 1-7 p.m., exhibition through Aug. 28, Ellen Powell Tiberino Museum, 3819 Hamilton St., 215-386-3784. Afterparty, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., $5 donation after 11 p.m., Suite 450, 450 N. Sixth St., 215-232-2274.

—A.D. Amorosi