KERZEKA (KERZ – ZEKA)
We’re a duo based out of Calgary, Canada.
Kerz –
I grew up in Rome in the area “Centocelle”, where I started writing at the age of nine. After a few years, I was recruited to join the XXV / 25th Crew from Rome. Growing up, my main inspirations were writers like (digital) DOES, BRUS, SOTEN, to name a few, for taking letter structure to the next level.
By the time I was in high school, I had moved to Toronto, Canada, and started to take graffiti more seriously. My art teacher was actually one of the ones to really push me by commissioning me my first paid graffiti piece and a canvas for her house. This was a huge turning point for me as it showed me that I could really take this in whatever direction I wanted to.
After high school, I moved to Calgary with a new mindset on where I wanted my graffiti to head. With a new tag – KERZ, I started cultivating my current style with letters that have an edgy structure, mixed with softer lines and intricate fills. I call it “Euro Style” to honor the European influences.
At this point, with graffiti as the main focus in my life, I wanted to start sharing what I’ve learned. I was approached to start teaching graffiti workshops and to do live graffiti painting for festivals and events. In between, I have been painting commissioned murals around the city and province.
This is when I met ZEKA..
Zeka –
I grew up on a farm outside a small village in the middle of Canada. Being in the middle of nowhere, my first introduction to graffiti was hauling grain with my dad to the elevators, where I would wait for hours watching the graffiti on the train carts.
Eventually, I turned 18 and moved to Melbourne, Australia; a huge graffiti hub and still my favorite city in the world. I spent endless hours roaming back alleys, benching the city from top to bottom. I started practicing letters but mostly focused on street art.
I moved to Calgary, and got into painting full-time at a gallery, but there was something missing without the street element. This is where I met KERZ, and got totally re-inspired. I instantly knew that I needed to change my direction and started to envision my life focused around graffiti. I left the gallery and started painting walls full-time as a duo with KERZ.
Since then, we have been able to push our conjoined style and contribute to the culture of graffiti in Calgary. We have been collabing with local writers and organizers to organize graffiti-based events, and step-by-step have started doing productions in other cities. Going forward, we are super hyped to start painting internationally and pushing this in every avenue that we can.
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