TAKI 183

TAKI 183 was the tag name of a Greek-American graffiti artist who tagged his name throughout New York City in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His given name was Demetrius. He worked as a messenger, allowing him to travel widely throughout the city and leave his mark in a variety of locations, most notably on subway cars.

The name "TAKI" was derived from a common short form of his given name, Demetrius (or Dimitrios). The "183" referred to his street number on 183rd Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.

TAKI 183 gained wider recognition after an article about him was published in The New York Times in 1971. This article is often credited with helping to popularize graffiti as a widespread cultural phenomenon and inspiring many others to begin tagging their own names. He is considered one of the pioneers of the modern graffiti movement. While he was not the first to tag in New York City, his visibility and the attention he received helped catapult the practice into the public consciousness. After his initial period of activity, TAKI 183 largely disappeared from the graffiti scene.