So thanks for doing this interview, can you give us a brief history of your graffiti career how you get started? Who were your mentors when you were coming up?
The first time I had contact with graffiti was the album cover “Significant Other“. I really liked this style and started to sketch some of the letters. I joined some workshops and was able to learn a lot of different styles, designs and of course the history. I learned a lot from TOWN of DNS. Also artists like STOKE, ASIA and KOSI inspired me.
Do you do this professionally, or do you hold down a day job while you pursue your passion? If so do you have any long term plan for where you want to be with this in the future? Or will this always just be a side passion for you?
It’s been a part of my life for the last 17 years and I hope that won’t change in the upcoming years. I did some commercial jobs, but this is not what fulfills my life. I just want to paint. To do what I like, what I feel right in this moment. I don’t plan anything.
How much time do you spend planning out your pieces before you do them? The colors are so wild and vibrant to me and you can tell you have a lot of time playing around with them. Do you consider the sketch phase as the most important for graffiti writers?
I don’t do sketches before I am stepping out for a piece. I sketch a lot but most of the time the sketches are for other people who like my stuff. For sure my pieces are wild and colorful, cause i like to play around with them. The most important thing is the style, but colors are important as well!! The sketchphase is very important for developing the style. I like it to sketch other names, to find different combinations and sometimes even letters.
What do you think about the difference a successful graffiti writer and a not successful one?
It depends what you mean with successful. For sure a lot of writers getting money for their stuff, but for me that is not successful! Successful is, if you paint over years and still like it, cause its your passion!
Where all have you traveled or do you mostly stick to Berlin? If so how does Berlin’s graffiti scene compare to other places you have traveled?
I traveled so several cities and countries (like Barcelona, Paris, Budapest, Riga and some others…)
Graffiti allows me to meet new interesting people and just being able to enjoy the time. I am still enjoying it! I think, Berlin is one of the most important cities for graffiti. We have a big scene here and a lot of talented writers and crews. The city is constantly changing every day and I love that, cause of all the positive influences it provides me.
What areas outside of the graffiti world inspire you the most? Is there any inspiration you get from calligraphy or something like that that most people wouldn’t expect? What kind of music do you listen to when you are painting?
A lot. Art itself, commercials, the people around me, but also trips to a museum or architecture are inspiring me. I like to listen to music all the time, during sketching, chilling, painting. I dont have a preference of genre. I like hiphop but also rock.
For people trying to pursue this seriously what would you recommend for people to study? Back when you were first starting out would you copy the technique of other writers to see what works and what doesn’t? How do you make sure that you continue to grow as a writer?
I think there is no right or wrong, just do want you like. If you try to paint what maybe somebody likes that is the wrong way. I think you have to copy things at the beginning, I did this as well. Just pic the things you like the most and develop your own style. I had some people who taught me and i try to do the same for others! Each one teach one. Hmm, growth is a huge word. Just paint and paint, enjoy the time and do what you like.
What do you think you get the most out of when it comes to graffiti? What does it mean to you?
I switch off my brain and just relax. For me its compensation of stress. Its more than a hobby, its passion and love.
Are there any artists or writers that you admire today? Any shoutouts you would like to give?
For sure. TOWN is definitely one of the most important writers for me. He taught me a lot! I still love the pieces of crew like CAF, KO, EMU. Writers like KOSI, Mr.IX, Asia, Cobolt are full inspiration for me.
Shoutouts to my friends and my family, CRN, DNS and all the other guys around me.
You said you have done somethings commercially but didnt find it exactly soul fulfilling, so I’m curious if you have ever thought of selling originals of your blackbook sketches or maybe doing graffiti on canvas to bring in some side income? You definitely have enough people looking at your work to do something like that right?
I had several people on insta who wanted to buy a sketch, but i don´t want to take money for a sketch. I love to sketch and I do it nearly every day, so where is the problem to do one more?I have a job, I earn enough money. Graffiti is want love, I don´t want to take money from kids. If a big company or doctors are asking for a canvas its another thing. But the commercial jobs I did were mostly landscape, nothing style related.
I dont want to paint the same flower over and over again. I want to feel free. That is one fact, why I canceled the commercial jobs. If somebody is asking, he has a white wall, just do whatever you like, its nice, but not “I saw one of your landscapes, please paint the someone here.”
Where can people view your work and where do you do most of your paintings today?
I try to post nearly every day something on my instagram account. I thought a bout a youtube channel, but I don´t have the skills and time to do and cut videos :). I created one vero account as well, but maybe 2 social media accounts are to much.
Any cool travel stories? What has been your favorite place to travel?
I had some funny stories :), but most of them were only funny right in that moment. My favorite place is definitely Berlin, but I have also some very good friends in Hamburg (cheers to my homies of GBR, especially SLOE). Riga is nice as well (SNEAR+TREND) and also in Luxembourg (SADER) or Paris (YELLOW+IZZY) I had some good memories. Mostly its not the city itself, more the people behind it I like.
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Interview by Wesley Edwards