In a short period of time, he transitioned from creating abstract art to graffiti, which caught the interest of de Kooning according to Haze, a resident of Manhattan. She advised him that artists must be guided by their inspiration at all times. By the early 1980s, he joined Soul Artists, a prominent graffiti collective in New York City, and displayed his work alongside Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, both of whom were his friends, at MoMA PS1. He also exhibited at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery and later distributed his non-figurative paintings globally. Instead of leading a solitary artist's life, he established a successful design business with clients such as the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. He recently designed clothing and spaces for Nike and the Standard Hotel, and in 2013 he married actress Rosie Perez and lived a very social life. However, everything changed when he began an artist's residency at the Elaine de Kooning house in December. He expressed his desire to relearn painting in a studio in East Hampton with a large window overlooking the woods. Several gray views of the studio that he painted contrasted with a colorful portrait by de Kooning on the wall. His early abstract paintings, created in vibrant colors during his childhood under her guidance, were displayed next to a striking new portrait of de Kooning, with disheveled hair and intense eyes, holding a cigarette. After spending months painting through the night, he felt a deep connection to de Kooning's spirit, which inspired him to paint people, starting with himself. It was only recently that he felt deserving of painting Elaine, and he believes he has made significant progress in his art in the past few weeks. Like many others during quarantine, he has relied on his own creativity to navigate isolation and shape his days. For many artists, writers, and composers who have received prestigious residencies to spend time in remote and sometimes harsh environments, it is a sought-after opportunity. However, during a pandemic, the additional isolation can become difficult even for the most resilient artists. Pat Phillips, who is currently on a painting residency in Provincetown, Massachusetts, mentioned that the enforced isolation can be challenging for those who are not accustomed to it. While he is fortunate to have his wife, fellow artist Coady Brown, with him, the lack of community interactions and events due to the pandemic has made the experience tougher. Dune walks and community potluck dinners featuring local clams are currently not happening. Richard MacMillan, the executive director of the organization, noted that residents who were once very social have now become isolated due to the pandemic. While many residency programs have shut down, some like Djerassi in California and Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Nebraska have implemented new safety rules to remain open during and even beyond April. Paolo Arao, a Brooklyn artist who recently returned from a three-month residency at Bemis, stated that the past month was very distracting due to all the news. However, he felt safer in Nebraska, where there were fewer COVID cases than at home. The Elaine de Kooning House residency, which accommodates only one artist, seems to be well-suited for sheltering in place. The director of programming, Katherine McMahon, mentioned that the setup, with only one staff member providing meals and cookies, was helpful in minimizing interactions during self-quarantine. Despite the artist, Haze, working through the night and being in a daze from painting marathons, he would briefly step outside to smoke a cigarette, promising his wife he would quit when he returned home. "At this moment, it would be too disruptive and would prevent me from focusing." On a Wednesday in early April, during the peak of the pandemic in New York City, with reports of sirens constantly blaring, the sound of birds and rustling tree branches entered de Kooning's former studio through an open door. Haze sat on a stool facing a recently completed self portrait of his younger, alluring self, leaning against a car with a cigarette in hand, reminiscent of de Kooning's portrait on the opposite side. In his studio, tubes, buckets, and cans of paint, along with various brushes, rags, and thinner, overshadowed his collection of Clorox wipes and surgical gloves. "I have boxes of them and plan to give them away to friends like bottles of wine," he mentioned. "I brought enough supplies out here to paint through the apocalypse," he added. To his left, a large painting of de Kooning painting Kennedy and his own interpretation of her painting of him and his sister as children, created a reflective effect that delved into the past, intertwining it with the present. In the vicinity, he was working on a portrait of his immigrant grandfather as a young boy. He mentioned that his time spent alone in the residence helped him vividly recall various people from his past. He also expressed his admiration for Elaine, who had been a spiritual inspiration for him during those months. Even his wife was aware of his feelings for Elaine. He intended to go back to Perez the next day, but a week later he was still painting despite the ongoing apocalypse. He pointed out that Elaine used to say that obsession is a fundamental part of the process.