Community Interview. Canggu Street Art. Part 2

Quint

Quint was born in Sumatra and raised in Jakarta where he briefly attended design school, quickly finding his art benefit more from freedom than from study. His graffiti developed into street art and found a unique style in stencilling. He moved to Canggu three years ago and now, on many of its streets you can spot the alluring images of women he is known for. His work can be seen bringing character to the walls of Bali, Jakarta, Tokyo and Berlin.

photo by @quint.e

So where are you from?

I’m from… actually it’s a little bit… it’s not that I amn’t proud of where I’m from but eh I’m from Indonesia, originally from Sumatra but raised in Jakarta. But to me wherever you from, we’re from the same place, same planet so.. (laughs)

That’s a really nice way of looking at it. How did you end up coming to Canggu?

Hmm Canggu. I never thought to end up in Canggu actually. I came over and back a lot. But one time I decided, ok I’m gonna spend like one year to Bali. I never thought I’m gonna stay in Canggu, I just chose a quiet place. Like, ok Canggu is not so far from the city so yeah, just moved to Canggu. And I love it here, it’s been about three years already so for a while yeah, I will stay here.

How did you first get into street art?

Uh.. first time I did street art.. it was a long time ago when I was very small; grade 6, grade 5 I already did street art. But you know, just a kid, I started with graffiti. And then of course my parents send me to school, and I stay in school until high school. I really loved street art at that time. Then, in my high school, I got kicked out because I did graffiti in my classroom. Actually it was not a school, it was an art school. So, to me, the art school had blank walls, you know. It’s not even art. So I’m trying to do something, to show my teacher my friends like, this is art! But after three days they kicked me out. So yeah (laughs) I’ve had more time to do street art since then.

Hahaha what did you paint on the wall?

Just graffiti, I forget what I wrote, but its graffiti.

photo by @quint.e

Cool. What do you think inspired you to start doing graffiti in the first place?

Uh back then, when I was doing graffiti and what I’m doing now is a little bit different. Then, I was just thinking I just want people to see my art for free; they don’t need to go to a gallery, you know, they don’t need to pay to enjoy the art. Something like that. That’s what I like about graffiti. But now, what I’ve done all this time actually, is I don’t care what people say about my art, I just love doing my thing. So when people enjoy it, I love it. When people hate it; I still love them. So, yeah what I’m trying to do is just spread the love. And my medium is walls, like dirty walls, abandoned buildings. So what I’m saying is, you can find beautiful things everywhere.

That’s pretty cool. So do you generally paint places where you need to ask permission, or do you just go and paint?

Umm.. I heard one time, a street artist say this “its easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission.” So to me, to ask permission, this wall has to be a very, very nice place, really in the middle of some city. Then I’m gonna ask permission, but normally I just walk around the city, it’s a spontaneous thing.

Have you ever got in to any trouble for it?

Uh, hope not. Almost yes. When I was in Tokyo, I almost got shot actually.

No way

Yeah by an undercover cop but I didn’t know that he was an undercover cop. I was travelling to Tokyo alone just walking around at like 4 o’clock in the morning. Then I climb to the second floor of a building. I was doing my thing there when this guy starts talking Japanese to me, I was like ‘what do you want?’ I was working on the second floor, but he cannot climb to the second floor. And at first I thought this guy is just drunk or something because he didn’t wear a cop uniform. And then I just kept working, kept working, kept working until he pulled out a phone and start taking pictures of me and I was like ‘woah, what is this?’ I’m a little bit angry for that. And then he pulled a gun and point at me and then, I was so panicked. So I throw all my things inside the building and I jump inside and run and came out the other side.

Woah

Yeah, yeah, I was lucky.

So did you ever finish that piece?

I had already finished when he came. The next day, I went back there to take pictures of the finished wall.

That is pretty lucky. So, what method do you use for your works?

I use stencils. So I shoot the models, I put it on the computer, I print it out and then I cut the paper and spray it. So it’s a lot of steps, a long process.

photo by in_da_surfbali

In your pieces, you mainly use women. Where does that inspiration come from?

It’s from everywhere. I meet them on the street, spontaneously, everywhere, sometimes at a concert. It’s not about just like a pretty woman, I always try to pick up a good attitude from her. So yeah it’s spontaneous, I ask her ‘can I shoot you?’ if she say yes then we arrange a shoot and that’s it.

Cool

(laughs) yeah so it’s very simple actually. Sometimes I get rejected too, from women who think ‘ugh street art, no I don’t like street art.’ ‘okay no problem’ something like that.

photo by in_da_surfbali

Do you deal with a lot of stigma around street art?

You know Canggu community on facebook?

Yeah

Well a couple of months ago, they were talking about me on there. This guy tried to find me. Posted a picture and asked ‘who is this artist’ and people started to comment. I read all of the comments. Some of them love it, some hate it. I enjoyed it, I was just laughing. Then one local artist commented ‘if you want copy of this kind of art, I can do.’ I was like ‘what?’. Of course, to me copying art, is fake art, it’s not good. But if this painter can get happiness, can get money, can help them, can feed their family, I’m happy. The problem is not the guy who makes a copy, it’s the people who buy the copy. That’s why they keep producing.

What do you think about street art growing in Canggu?

It's definitely getting bigger, because last year there was a really big international festival. Tropical festival. They invited artists from all around the world. So yeah I think it’s gonna be getting bigger and bigger.

photo by @nyamangallery

Do you have a favourite street artist in Canggu?

This is a problem for me (laughs). All the artists in Indonesia are my favourite because they’re different. Sometimes that difference is what’s interesting to me, they can inspire me. So yeah, there is no one big name.

What advice would you give a kid just starting out in street art?

Keep doing what you love. I don’t know, just do what you like to do. You know, when I started I never think like what I should do, I just think what I like to do. What I love to do. If you love what you do, you’re gonna explore yourself more and more and more.

Do you have an exhibitions or anything, if anyone wants to see your stuff?

You can see my stuff in Nyaman gallery in Seminyak. I’m gonna do and exhibition next month in Europe. I will come back in July and maybe have an exhibition around Canggu, I don’t know, we’ll see. But yeah I have a gallery now so most of my stuff, you can see there. Oh yeah! I just finished a big project for Sol house hotel in legian it was a big, big project so you can come there and check it out. I think it’s the biggest I ever did.

Have you got anything else you’d like to say?

Spread the love hahaha

Hahaha cool, thank you for talking to me.

photo by @quint.e