The daughter of  Blues guitarist Buster Wiley, and model/singer actress/CPS teacher Paticia Palmer guaranteed a star to be born.  Born and raised in Chicago by her mother while “Papa was a Rolling Stone”performing around the world, creativity inspired Casmir Mercedes early on. Although she prefers to go by self made moniker QasMercedes... Pronounced KAZ-MER-SAY-DES, the ‘Q’ is for Queen she says. QasMercedes blends the smooth names her mother and grandmother passed on to her along with tons of talent and model good looks.  “My mom named me Casmir from the 1001 Arabian Nights tales, and my father’s mother was tough lady, she kept a pistol close and drove a brand new Caddilac; her name was Mercedes Patterson.  QasMercedes grew up in a home filled with music and artistry She says “watching my mother Patricia apply make-up was my first introduction to art.” As an only child she had to be very creative as she rarely had the company of kids her age; “I got used to making up stuff to do and being around older folks”. Which explains the eerily mature and wise laid back persona Qasmercedes displays in her artistry.  “I started out drawing and painting very early, my mom says I sat up and spoke out at three months so self expression comes naturally to me.” A young virtuoso QasMercedes was a “HOOP STAR” she attended Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park Chicago, then transferred to Marshall Metro historic and notorious for its girls basketball team. Marshall was featured in the critically aclaimed movie “HOOP DREAMS” and was the setting for the JORDAN BRAND sneaker commercial; QasMercedes is no stranger to celebrity. When asked about her previous exploits in the sports area she slyly remarks; “I played to release my creativity, when that was exhausted I moved to a different arena... The Creative Arts.  QasMercedes attended DePaul University with a full-athletic scholarship and after her third year of competition decided to pursuit art full-time. She Graduated june 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art & Art history concentrated in Media Arts.
“Painting and drawing came naturally to me so I decided to study electronic arts, in high school I stayed on our computer making beats on Hip-Hop eJ; and my mom said graphic design was a growing field for artists.” It paid off now that Qasmercedes has founded DOPE CHIC CITY a graphic design/marketing/advertising firm and DCC management & production agency.  “I wanted to hustle for myself, I was always hustling on the basketball court on defence/rebounds and loose balls so I transferred that same energy to my art.” QasMercedes spent three years studying with underground Chicago DJ FLASH GEE, where she picked up the mechanics of turntable-ism and the fusion of technology and sound.  “ I went all around Chi-Town carying crates full of vinyl records and equiptment, doing the dirty work, observing and learning how DJ’s work; I’ve seen the crowds and the management take the DJ’s for granted some nights FLASH GEE never got paid, and some nights we were celebrities.” QasMercedes got into the custom sneaker game in high school but athletics was her obsession; “ my mom is an entrepenuer at heart she would try to get me to sell my idea to NIKE, but I was so focused in sports that my mind wouldn’t let me see anything else. I was painting my Timberland boots & AF ones in 2000 and people was trippin’ on me like I was crazy to paint my white AF ones, now everybody buys them from the store.” QasMercedes is definately ahead of her time, in her artwork she is almost prophetic with the interweaving of paint and sharpies into what she calls “Lyrical Paintings”. Music inspires life styles, people, culture as well as fine art, QasMercedes manages to create something unique and energetic  from what others consume and disregard.  When you spot her it could be in an exotic party dress sipping wine and disgussing modern art, maybe drinking cinnamon dolce latte’s and reading in a quaint bookstore or in rugged urban terreign scouting talent for her multi-talented team of DOPE CHIC’s. If you can pin her down between the purposeful milatary like walk and her bobbing head on the CTA pick her brain for the next new thing.

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