Suiko1
Interview conducted and edited for clarity by Sander Lindeke
In a world that evolves from excessive borrowing and biting, it is truly impressive that Suiko1 has a style all his own. Suiko grew up in Hiroshima, Japan and has since traveled all around Asia and Europe to, as he put it "paint the walls all over the world colorful." Suiko dissects the form of the letters with playful curving shapes that often flow into smaller, one-stroke gestures. He embraces the use of the single line as part of the structure unlike any other writer, normally emphasizing letters with fills. With this unique approach, the structures of his pieces refer to characters and one of the first appreciations for letter form, calligraphy. In this way his style pays tribute to his culture and honors the roots of graffiti while simultaneously advancing it. Though at times certain meaning got lost in translation during this interview, there's nothing unclear about the precision and originality in these images. All bow in respect to Suiko1.
How old are you? years doing art? years writing graffiti?
Twenty-nine. Although it is difficult to say when I started because I have been doing some form of expression since I was a kid. I started drawing on walls as graffiti when i was about ten years old.
In the U.S, many writers have a love/hate relationship with graffiti because of the many legal and physical consequences. Many other countries tend to be more lenient about graffiti laws. How extreme do the police enforce graffiti laws in Japan and how would you compare it to other places you've painted?
Ten years ago graffiti was considered a petty crime in Japan and you could leave prison the next morning.
Recently graffiti has been standing out rapidly in the society of Japan, so it is not being missed and the law has been getting more strict year after year.
Now graffiti as damage to property tends to get you confined to prison for three or four months.
Have you been arrested, fined, etc...?
Four times, but fortunately I have been well out of the serious situations.
How often do you paint? legally or illegally? studio work?
I mostly paint legally recently.
Tell us an unforgettable story or memory from your experiences painting?
The experience in jail. It is short term every time, but the time in jail gives me a chance to think a lot.
Although people regard it as a negative thing, I think I was happy spending such a time.
Otherwise I rarely reflect on myself seriously.
Who are some of your main influences?
Little sister.
Not about graffiti.
She leads a normal life unlike me, but all the more she reminds me of how to make little happiness.
What are your other passions?
Trashing.
I am originally a collectomaniac, but now I do the opposite.
What is your greatest ambition?
My ultimate goal is to paint the walls all over the world colorful.
The first step is to paint my town intensively.
Our current theme in illiterate is "love to hate/hate to love," do you have any experience with the combination of these emotions? this can be a playful or comedic interpretation?
Hate is brought in many situations, but I think it is easy to reverse it like a card.
Though I might be hated, I don't feel so bad when thinking the emotion is a reaction to excessive love.
