Burless “Shake” Anderson IV Biography

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Burless Anderson IV, favorably known as “ Shake”. I was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey but now I reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. My love for art started as a kid around the age of 7 years old. My passion was doodling graffiti and drawing different characters like Bart Simpson, Ninja Turtles, and other action figures. I even battled with my friends on who could draw the best ones. As time went on, I learned more techniques with the help of my cousin Bryan. Although I learned how to create different ways to draw from him, I always had my own style and that’s what made me different and unique from other artists.

By the time I reached High School, I remember making a bandana with my name “Shake” in graffiti. It caught the attention of other people and from there I found myself making bandanas and selling them for profit. That’s where it really began, and that’s when I realized I could start creating things to sell. So, my friend Kyle and I went to different arts & crafts stores and purchased fabric, paints, t-shirts and started to create abstract designs. Business took off so fast that we couldn’t keep up with the demand because we were getting so many orders. The trend started to die down so I took a step back from painting and would just work on it from time to time.

I got married to the love of my life Tiffany. She’s the most beautiful, loving, caring and intelligent wife a man could ever ask for. She always told me how good of an artist I am, and I could really go far if I kept at it. I really didn’t believe in myself, but my wife continued to express that I had a “Gift” and not just a talent. One day while I was doodling in my sketch book, my wife walked by and saw what I was creating and said to me “you need to go to the store and buy some canvas and supplies and start bringing your creative abilities to life and stop sitting on your “Gift”. I can’t thank her enough for pushing me and staying on me like she did, or I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Being a featured artist at Centaur Art Galleries, the oldest art gallery in Las Vegas, is one of the greatest honors as well as opportunities I could ever dream of. Where I’m from, opportunities like this are not offered so I couldn’t be more grateful. As I continue this journey, aside from wanting my art in as many homes all over the world as possible, I for the most part would love for my art to be inspirational to those who do not believe how far being a creator can take you.