Hart Halper aka New York Romantic is an artist primarily known for his chalk graffiti hearts, over 100,000 in downtown NYC.

Hash started drawing hearts dotting the i in the “ Bialy” on his morning delivery bags at a Lower East Side bakery. He noticed that it gave him an uplifting feeling, so he shared the powerful symbol with downtown.

Halper has drawn tens of thousands of chalk hearts on New York sidewalks because he feels New York is losing its romance, with people looking at phones instead of looking at each other.

The artist hopes that chalking hearts (and words like “unity,” “peace” and ”love”) around the city might positively influence New Yorkers’ behavior and decisions.

“Blueberry Herring” is Halper’s first solo exhibition. It is a romantic landscape with interactive chalk landscapes and paintings. The exhibition is open at the gallery Art of Our Century (137 w14th #3) until the 28th of February. https://artofourcentury.com/