X - color: Graffiti in Mito

17 Oct 2005 Category: Events & Exhibitions, Features, Japan, Recommended, Street Art, Top Page 10

X - color: Graffiti in Mito

The contemporary art center, Art Tower Mito is known for their brave, high- quality concepts in spite of their location: Mito, a 1/4 million town with decreasing population. This time curator Kenji Kubota collaborated with Kaze magazine to do a large scale exhibition about Japanese graffiti which goes beyond the boundaries of a conventional museum, allowing for 13 walls around the city to be legally painted, changing the face of Mito.

Interview with Kenji Kubota by Uleshka


outside wall by SITE, CASPER, JOTA, AMES, HUZE, VERY, DASTE, VITR

outside wall by DEM

This is the first time an exhibition about Japanese graffiti with this kind of large scale has taken place in the world. What made you start the exhibition and how long did it take you to find all your artists?

I have been watching graffiti for quite a while, but didn’t have any contacts in that scene myself. For this exhibition I consulted Kaze magazine, since they are local and know what is going on. We talked a long time about graffiti and then as a result we decided to focus on Japanese graffiti only. Making this exhibition took about 1.5 years.


color stained jacket by KRESS

KRESS

room by KRESS

real 3D style bench by KRESS

By which criteria did you decide which particular graffiti writer to go for?

Kaze magazine picked some fine Japanese graffiti writers and introduced them to me. They brought me photographs of all kinds of different artists, we discussed a lot about their works and then finally I decided to pick 38 of them: ACUTE, AKIM, AMES, BELx2, BUTOBASK, CASPER, COSA, CS, DASTE, DEM, DICE, DISKAH, ESOW, FATE, HUZE, ICHI, JOTA, KAMI, KANE, KEONE, KRESS, MAKE, NEIM, NESM, PHIL, QP, RACK, REW, ROMI, SASI, SITE, SKLAWL, TABU, SUIKO, VERY, VITR, ZEN, ZYS.


SKLAWL

AKIM

To what extent are live events, performances and workshops an important part of the exhibition?

We wanted to show the connection between graffiti, hip hop and skateboard culture so life events such as live painting, rap music, break dancing etc. are essential for the exhibition. Putting a skateboard ramp inside the gallery as a further art piece is to show the close connection between skateboarding and graffiti.


next to the skateborad ramp

photos by DISKAH, skateramp by ZYS

How does the police deal with graffiti in Japan? Are there things like Vandal Squad etc?

I’m not sure how they deal with this in general, but when our writers did up some walls in Mito, citizens got upset about this “vandalism” and called the police. The police came to the site and we explained to them that these were legal walls and above all: art! They understood and whenever someone called the police after that, the police explained to them that it was art. How nice!

In what way do you think that Japanese graffiti differs from western graffiti?

It’s been about 15 years since graffiti came to Japan. At first, in the early 90ies, it was more like an imitation of mainly West Coast Style, with some European influences such as Dutch and German graffiti. There surly has been a development and now many artists are trying to do more original pieces: some do graffiti in Japanese characters, Kanji or Katakana mixed with influences from manga or anime. If you look at their letters you can tell that some of them are really influenced by Japanese pop culture and I also think that the way they create their letters is somehow different to western graffiti. It feels more like craftmanship than normal writing.


ZYS and DEM

NEIM and KUNI

They are trying to establish something new, which will surely be much more significant in about 5-10 years from now. Besides, I think they also want to emphasize that they are Japanese.

How did graffiti actually come to Japan?

It is said that in the early 80s the film Wild style made its way to Japan and from there Hip Hop in the forms of Rap, Breakdance and DJing began to spread, but graffiti didn’t at that time. It was about 10 years later, when young Japanese who travelled to America and Europe came back to Japan and then started graffiti.

One other little difference is also, that I think that many Japanese writers are more influenced by pure skateboarding, or punk music not so much by hip hop music for example.


Door of Daizu Jikken, Nakameguro

ACUTE

Would you then say that Japanese graffiti is very merged with the sub culture of hip-hop or could it be considered as an independent discipline?

It is still very mixed and very few writers do just graffiti exclusively. Many of them skate and rap… that is their whole way of life and graffiti is a part of that.

How do Japanese writers receive foreign graffiti writers and how do they generally view the graffiti community?

That is some kind of overall rule for all graffiti writers and I think Japan is no exception here. If you travel you always have the opportunity to meet other graffiti writers, stay at their place for free and do a few pieces together. That is also an important part of the graffiti lifestyle, the strong community feeling and respect towards other writers. I could imagine it to be a bit difficult in Tokyo, though, because apartments are so small and also some writers still live at their parents’ house…


VERY

SCA crew

What is their core? (e.g. New York motto: We wanna destroy! German motto: Style and fame) Does an overall motto exist?

I think that right now they are pursuing their new styles. Destroying just for the sake of it is not yet important. Trying to establish an own style, being unique and technically good in order to get fame is what drives most of them I suppose.

Some of the writers in this show already managed that very well, for example KAMI or SASU.


KAMI and SASU

SASU detail

What is style for them? What makes them special?

That depends on the writers. QP for example is very unique with his simple icons in black and white. He is bombing all over in Tokyo, but the places he chooses to draw are very special. If you look at his gallery piece, you can also tell that his sense of space is very unique. His work is highly inspirational.


QP

QP

QP

QP

What different kind of styles are there?

NESM for example brought only photographs into the gallery. He didn’t spray anything. A while ago he did graffiti in New York but he is now looking for a new stage of graffiti. His piece consists out of huge letters cut into grass with gardening tools. You can even see that from an airplane. I think he is questioning graffiti by questioning the medium and tries to find new ways to express himself through writing. He is basically exploring the possibility of graffiti by changing the medium.


NESM

NESM

DISKAH, DEM and ZYS’ work is very much influenced by skateboarding culture. They are not pursuing the wild style or anime character, but their work is very purely graffiti, very colorful and rich in their usage of letters and messages… I feel that their work has a special kind of lightness, their feelings are expressed very truly and directly through their work. They are the ones showing their work in and around the skateboard ramp.


DISKAH and DEM

DISKAH and DEM

Then there are graffiti crews, like the SCA crew from Kanagawa (KRESS, PHIL, FATE, MAKE and BUTOBASK). PHIL is very good in making characters while others make the letters. Their ability is very high and their style original.


FATE”,”room of SCA crew

FATE”,”room of SCA crew

What about the two important things in order to get respect writing graffiti: quality and quantity. I sometimes have the feeling, that for Japanese artists overall, technique is important and the place you spray in (in terms of dangerous and huge = fame) comes second.

If you live in Tokyo you don’t have all that much space to write in comparison to Hiroshima or Okayama for example. If you drive around Okayama by car, you can basically find the place to write graffiti anywhere! The tendency for writers in Tokyo is to always try and find a small place where they can draw very quickly and therefor their work becomes more simple. If you look at QP, ZYS, KAMI or SASU - all their work is based on very simple icons where as the writers outside Tokyo have a lot of place to do their master pieces and so they are pursuing more complex styles.


SASU

BELL

As always, hardly any women in the scene. BELL and SASU are the only ones in this exhibition, where as I am not entirely sure if I would consider SASU to be graffiti.

SASU creates very decorative, stylish and beautiful paintings with a definite female touch. I don’t think she considers herself to be a graffiti artist either. For this exhibition, we decided to chose artists who work on the streets and she is bombing the streets. But on the whole, the line between street art and graffiti is hard to define, I agree. SASU and KAMI call themselves painters, sometimes and they might be a bit different to traditional graffiti. Either way, there are so many kinds of styles… You don’t need to write letters to do graffiti.

Who of those graffiti writers actually manages to make a living out of it?


ESOW and CASPER

ESOW

I’m not sure, but I think very few… same as in the art world. Some are involved in Kaze magazine, SASU was in the Nike “Urban Canvas” video and ESOW can live by doing characters. He is doing a lot of exhibitions in galleries and besides he is a professional skateboarder.

How has this exhibition changed your way of looking at graffiti?


ZEN

REW

I found very interesting to curate this exhibition, because I have only been dealing with fine artists in my past. This was the first time to collaborate with writers, be confronted with their attitude about their expression and overall to get to know their seriousness of their work. I was very impressed to see that their attitude and seriousness about what they do was the same as in the art world. I felt very happy about that.

Like ANY official graffiti interview at the end: Anything else you would like to say?

I hope that through this exhibition Japanese people will change the way they looked at graffiti up until now. Graffiti has this aspect of social problems, but at the same time it is such a strong method of artistic expression. I think graffiti is the balance between social expression and art. If you know what graffiti is, the you can enjoy life more when walking in the streets. I wish for people to realize this.


DICE and PLUM

Mito citizen experiencing ROM, AKIM, TABU, SKLAWL

Thank you so much for the interview!
Since there are so many more pictures of the exhibition, we made a little image gallery.

click to view on my google map

75 Comments

  1. As a Southern Californian, I find it fascinating to see graffiti becoming art. I see it occasionally here, and it is great to see it in Japan. Fine exhibition!

    Posted by: Jim on October 21st, 2005 at 3:42 am

  2. your article is killer! thank you very much! it’s one of the best resources so far for whats going on in this subject in japan. I already linked to it via my cipha.net. with kind regards and much love from europe, cipha

    Posted by: cipha on October 25th, 2005 at 11:00 pm

  3. nice werk graffiti !

    Posted by: chapit on December 17th, 2005 at 7:56 pm

  4. I am so proud to see my boys from japan doing so well!!!
    its is so beautiful to see their accomplishment after working so hard! ganbattene~

    Posted by: stephany143 on December 23rd, 2005 at 7:27 am

  5. Graffiti is a gloabal language I’m happy to see that you express yourself so well… Rock Steady!

    Posted by: RACE FromUsCrazyKids on January 9th, 2006 at 4:51 am

  6. very interesting interview and work, I want to see it in real!
    good luck Kenji!
    Leo

    Posted by: leo van der kleij on January 18th, 2006 at 8:25 pm

  7. respect to japan from europe.

    Posted by: elan on February 23rd, 2006 at 5:14 am

  8. I would love 2 be down with yall and write griffiti with yall i love Griffiti but im trying 2 make it big like YALL but respect 2 japan from New york it;s self

    Posted by: Tajh Ballard on April 27th, 2006 at 3:53 am

  9. skatebording rack

    Posted by: Anonymous on May 1st, 2006 at 4:42 am

  10. ups japan

    Posted by: otttttawa 613 on May 23rd, 2006 at 9:14 am

  11. heyy i think this is great but i was wondering if you knew anyone who could do this for my room because i would like someone to make my room look nice with graffiti. My email address is minidog692@aol.com. anything that you could help me with will be great

    Posted by: eloy on June 9th, 2006 at 3:51 am

  12. big ups japan… greets from malaysia :)

    Posted by: drew on June 16th, 2006 at 5:44 pm

  13. sorry ,nice art work but not graff,maybe graffiti art but not graffiti… graffiti has to be illigal,thats what makes it the purist artform..that shit whould never fly in L.A.

    Posted by: SICKDAWG on June 19th, 2006 at 8:37 am

  14. LOVE THE JAPANESE CULTURE ESPECIALLY FASHION AND GRAFF.THE INDIVIDUALISM THAT EXIST.NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.BIG UP TO ALL WRITERS OVER THERE!!!I LOVE THE JAPANESE POLICE COZ THEY UNDERSTAND.PLIZ SEND ME MAGZ OF GRAFF FROM OVER THERE MY HOME ADDRESS IS
    33 THE SERPINTINE LANE,
    HURSTHILL,2092,
    JOHANNESBURG,SOUTH AFRICA
    I COLLECT DIFFERENT MAGZ AND BOOKS OF GRAFF AROUND THE WORLD TO EXPOSE MYSELF AND THOSE LIKE MINDED TO THE ART.I HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTING GRAFF IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE PAST 3YEARS AND NEED 2 C MORE GRAFF FROM EVERYWHERE.

    PLIZ ID REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND AM ALREADY A FAN OF YOUR FRUITS MAG

    THANXS LATER….

    Posted by: LOLO on June 28th, 2006 at 7:17 pm

  15. hola there, LOLO. best would be to contact KAZE magazine in Japan. they will have all you need! best to SA

    Posted by: Uleshka on June 29th, 2006 at 12:45 pm

  16. çok güzeller :D
    Very good perfect

    Posted by: atilla on June 29th, 2006 at 8:29 pm

  17. OOOOOEEEEE, thats some killer graff!

    Posted by: MissionCat on July 25th, 2006 at 11:57 am

  18. I need to paint japan

    Posted by: ugly on August 23rd, 2006 at 2:22 am

  19. ewren seni seviyorum

    Posted by: ewren on August 25th, 2006 at 11:00 pm

  20. love it

    Posted by: Bob on August 27th, 2006 at 12:32 am

  21. I AM BORN FOR GOD
    LIVE FOR MY MOTHER
    AND DIE FOR MY CREW
    STM

    Posted by: ANSER on November 1st, 2006 at 5:43 am

  22. im a graff writer from vegas, im heading to tokyo late december, anyone know all time legal graff walls in japan? hit up my page or e-mail Delta9SystemMAK@yahoo.com

    Posted by: Addoni on November 28th, 2006 at 5:02 pm

  23. kl;ergsdfgsd

    Posted by: lil hydro on December 23rd, 2006 at 1:39 pm

  24. We’re a collective a graffiti artist on Marseilles-France.
    We’d love to come paint in Japan.
    Anyway, check our website. We have a lot more if some wants.

    Posted by: L'Artmada on January 6th, 2007 at 5:53 am

  25. It is gud art work but it does not belong on the streets so it is not Graff!!!

    Posted by: Kingpin on January 24th, 2007 at 11:23 pm

  26. I luv ur leters all of yeas have rally nice graffti letters hopefully one day i would be able to write like yaes.

    Posted by: chcoclate gurl on February 14th, 2007 at 3:30 am

  27. really good…this is a very art!congratulations..respect and peace

    Posted by: FdMcrew on March 6th, 2007 at 1:35 am

  28. this is hell nice stuff…..
    loving it aye…
    OHHHHRRRR LOVE I”
    XoXoX

    Posted by: jodie on March 14th, 2007 at 6:14 pm

  29. i think..kereeeeen bgt.slow but sure gitu.how to create grafity???please give me chance to learn it to you!!!

    Posted by: stray85 on May 6th, 2007 at 3:49 pm

  30. Ooow!!nice graff.,global art,i need paint cap for create it,but i don’t know where i can get it..

    Posted by: stray85 on May 6th, 2007 at 3:56 pm

  31. Thanks for all guys..

    Posted by: arabalar on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:48 pm

  32. Hımm they are seem perfect..

    Posted by: aşk on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:48 pm

  33. Thankss all

    Posted by: gazete oku on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:49 pm

  34. Thanks we kiss you

    Posted by: gazete on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:49 pm

  35. Thanks guyss

    Posted by: resimler on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:50 pm

  36. Thnakssss

    Posted by: hayvan resimleri on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:50 pm

  37. Thanks you all

    Posted by: rüya on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:51 pm

  38. Thnaks babyy

    Posted by: bebek resimleri on July 3rd, 2007 at 11:53 pm

  39. BIG SHOTS
    2 ALL THE REAL CREWS
    YOU KNOW
    KEEP ON BOMBING
    HALA
    ANSER#1 STMAFIA CREW

    Posted by: ANSER#1 on July 10th, 2007 at 8:51 am

  40. thanks…

    Posted by: arabalar on July 29th, 2007 at 12:10 am

  41. pdf graffiti magazine from Chile.

    Posted by: TOMBO on July 29th, 2007 at 10:18 am

  42. thanks. really good

    Posted by: slovenie on August 8th, 2007 at 11:09 am

  43. very good job all around the world..

    Posted by: mexico on September 13th, 2007 at 2:46 am

  44. ii Love Tha Picture w. Tha Handz HoldinTha Can!! iT Represents a Lot && a Lot Of Art!! Fascinatin!! -M.s.

    Posted by: Misz Sc3n3 x3 on September 13th, 2007 at 9:54 pm

  45. Fuck that “does not belong on the streets” bullshit. Purism is for people who don’t have the heart or talent, for true creativity. Expand the medium, always.

    Posted by: Ben on September 25th, 2007 at 6:00 pm

  46. hey, whoever made the 3D style bench by KRESS, wat did u use?? cuz atm im doing a 3D tag outta wood board and use cardboard to close in the gaps and spray paint and use acrylic paint… got ne better advice?? hahaha email me aye, skribblegraffitigal@hotmail.com

    thx

    Posted by: SAGJ on September 26th, 2007 at 3:51 pm

  47. Haha Anser, respect man!!!

    STMafia till we die.

    Posted by: Steve on November 16th, 2007 at 9:00 am

  48. YO STEVE MY MEN !
    THANX YOU AD THE PHOTOS ON (FLICKR)
    I AM RIGHT NOW IN AMSTERDAM
    MAY BE WE CAN MEET IN SOME PLACE IN EUROPE
    AND ROCK SOME SHIT!
    YOU CAN CONTACT MY BY DJARASHI@HOTMAIL.COM

    Posted by: ANSER STMAFIA 893 on December 17th, 2007 at 8:51 pm

  49. thank you very nice…

    Posted by: resimleri on December 30th, 2007 at 11:25 pm

  50. We’re a collective a graffiti artist on Marseilles-France.
    We’d love to come paint in Japan.
    Anyway, check our website. We have a lot more if some wants.

    Posted by: resimler on February 16th, 2008 at 6:50 am

  51. thanks…

    Posted by: sağlık on March 9th, 2008 at 9:51 am

  52. thanks

    Posted by: mersin terapi on March 12th, 2008 at 9:26 pm

  53. really nice

    Posted by: resim galerisi on March 13th, 2008 at 1:35 pm

  54. very googd. thanks.

    Posted by: resim galerisi on March 15th, 2008 at 6:40 am

  55. thanks.

    Posted by: Çiçek Resimleri on March 15th, 2008 at 6:41 am

  56. nice

    Posted by: Resim Arşiv on March 15th, 2008 at 6:42 am

  57. thank you very much

    Posted by: otomobil on March 15th, 2008 at 6:42 am

  58. thank you

    Posted by: medikal on March 15th, 2008 at 6:43 am

  59. thanks…

    Posted by: Şifalı Taşlar on March 16th, 2008 at 9:39 am

  60. well done

    Posted by: otomobil on March 28th, 2008 at 2:01 am

  61. very good work

    Posted by: منتدى on March 31st, 2008 at 7:24 am

  62. thank you

    Posted by: منتدى قريش on March 31st, 2008 at 7:25 am

  63. thankss so muchs

    Posted by: resimler on April 3rd, 2008 at 7:19 pm

  64. Thanks for all.

    Posted by: DigitalRev on May 4th, 2008 at 2:41 am

  65. thank you good work

    Posted by: resimler on May 23rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm

  66. The sheer talent involved with this is just incredible. That car is amazing, and just all the artwork is just incredible. I can’t believe, though, that they’ve put this amazing gallery in a town like this – I suppose it does give it a unique edge, but these kinds of things usually belong in London and big cities. I don’t know why, though – I mean, it’s not like there is a rule that the galleries must follow.

    Posted by: online shopping on July 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pm

  67. thank you good work

    Posted by: tin box on August 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm

  68. As an artist, there are only few places that I have been to where Art related to this are done neatly. Most are done as if it’s vandalism which makes the place dirty. The same is true for objects where it is put on. The ones you’ve shown here, however are pretty neat and I really like them.

    Posted by: canvas art on August 8th, 2008 at 12:26 am

  69. The ones you’ve shown here, however are pretty neat and I really like them.

    Posted by: benz star on August 20th, 2008 at 2:36 am

  70. thanks for your subject. it is very important for internet users.i will write your site .. please write me back. thank you

    Posted by: bursa evden eve nakliyat on March 31st, 2009 at 9:10 pm

  71. Some graffiti are really good. Thanks for the photos.

    Posted by: kredit on June 30th, 2009 at 5:11 am

  72. This is a message to the staff behind kazemagazine….(the SCA)

    http://www.kazemagazine.com/

    (issue 8) = Big BITE, ya stupid cats think u could get away with it LOL?

    Busted…

    Posted by: STEVE STM on September 18th, 2009 at 2:45 am

  73. interesting interview and work

    Posted by: foto arşiv on September 18th, 2009 at 6:54 am

  74. thank you very much. good work

    Posted by: resim ekle on September 18th, 2009 at 6:56 am

  75. Hi
    in deinem Blog werden bei mir sämtliche Umlaute als komische Zeichen dargestellt.
    Anstatt einem o mit Pünktchen steht nur so was da wie “ö”…
    Ist da was mit deiner Zeichensatzcodierung im Blog durcheinander gekommen,
    oder liegt das eventuell an meinem Rechner?
    tschau

    Posted by: santa luzia on October 14th, 2009 at 6:44 pm

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