Austin grew up on the tough streets of Brooklyn, where the expression of oneself was usually done through wall tagging—or as they say in Italian, "graffito." He was influenced by many different artists, particularly Fernando Carlo, who was well known for his expressive graffiti. That childhood influence is where the edge and contemporary look of his art pieces come from. After graduating from Pratt Institute in the early ’90s, he now travels all over America looking for inspiration, whether it’s a tagged wall or an art museum. Austin loves to embrace all the unique and expressive simplicities life offers.