G: Tell us about your art: What do you do? What did inspire you to start?
Well I’m a graffiti artist who paints letters and faces in my own unique style using just spray paint. I started out when I was about 10 years old and the hip-hop movement had just come across the pond from New York. I was instantly hooked by graffiti art after my first glance and the bible ‘Subway Art’. As a young kid I already loved art but wanted something different, exciting and fresh so graffiti art ticked all the boxes. From then on I have been addicted to the art form and here I am 30 years later painting more than ever. I currently paint on the streets of London every week and have become recognised recently for my female faces that I create. I work from portrait and fashion photographs to create unique interpretations, which are abstracted in a spontaneous and freestyle way to create interesting and mysterious compositions. These pieces are a melting pot of all the different influences and technical skills that I have acquired over the years.
G: What were your most successful projects/exhibitions so far or what projects did you enjoy the most so far?
‘Distortions’ at the Pure Evil Gallery is my first solo show for 6 years. In recent years I have just enjoyed painting on the street for free, for the people who don’t go to galleries, that’s what it all about really. I have done lots of commissions for people and been luckily enough to travel and paint to places like Germany and Azerbaijan where I did a mural for the President’s daughter. One of the most rewarding things I have been doing is alot of large community murals with my Company ‘Positive Arts’, which have literally transformed spaces, places and people’s lives.
‘Distortions’ open’s on the 16th of October at The Pure Evil – Department Store and will run up until the 9th of November – 96-98 Leonard Street, London, UK.
G: Tell us a bit more about your current project?
So basically people began to really like the faces I painted on the street so I thought I might as well do a show on the back of the popularity. I have been painting more than ever in the last couple of years so this is just a natural progression. The show features mainly large canvases with different female faces painted in my trademark style. It opens on Thursday 16th October and runs until 9th November. CCC-Check it!
G: How would you describe the art scene in Shoreditch/East London? Why is it unique?
Well its very unique because of the amount and variety of Graffiti/street art to be found. It is one of the few places in London where you can just rock up to a wall and paint, without permission and avoid getting arrested. The artwork is encouraged and embraced in Shoreditch. Unfortunately with that’s comes lots of bad stuff, like kids straight out of college thinking ‘oh I’m going to give this street art thing a go’. But its important that people like me keep the standards up or it would completely die.
G: Who are your favorite Artists in the area?
Hmm that’s a difficult one because unfortunately there isn’t enough decent stuff in the area and the artists I really like are not English and don’t get to paint here much, like Nawer, Sat One and Dexter The Weird. I love some of the Brazilian artists that have painted here recently courtesy of Pigment- Big up! But I have to give props to people like TRP who have been painting real graffiti art in East London for years and artists like Tizer One and Vibes who are always creating fresh stuff in the area.
G: What are your future plans?
Well just to keep developing and pushing my style and paint more than ever. I always strive to paint bigger and better and in new places. After my show I will be working on some exclusive prints though my website and painting lots more walls around town.
Social links:
Twitter: @mrcenzgraffiti
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrCenz
Instagram: @mrcenzone
Website: http://www.mrcenz.com/
