Name: Raws
Crew: Super Bad Boys, Officials
City/Country: Berlin, Germany
When did you start writing? 2004

What’s graffiti for you?
Graffiti means a lot to me! Because of graffiti I could manage to travel a lot all over Europe and maybe one time around the world.;) To make it short: graffiti for me is creativity, friends, traveling, collecting, fun, work and struggle.

Influences?
I get my influences from everything around me. Graphics, films, advertisement or arts are just some of my influences. I love abstract works by artists like Picasso, Kandinsky, Richter or Lichtenstein. When it comes to graffiti/urban art, nowadays I love works by Pantone, Dems, Pose (MSK), Does or Kaws, because they managed to do the next step apart from classic graffiti styles. Stylewriters like Chas, Soten or Dejoe are also Writers I am impressed of. And for sure all my friends around me.

Tell us about your city, how is life and graffiti there?
Berlin is one of the most important cities, when it comes to graffiti. We have so much illegal and legal graffiti, that influences my works. Crews like 1UP or BerlinKids are just some of the worldwide famous. What is interesting for me, is the fact, that we have so many different styles in the city. The life in Berlin is very hectic, stressful but also nice and relaxed. Especially the summer in Berlin is amazing!

What keeps you still writing?
Haters. 😀

What first made you interested in graffiti and how did you end up on that track?
I think the fact, that it is illegal but creative. Nowadays it is the searching for the perfect piece.

What trends are you seeing now in the graffiti world that you don’t like?
I don’t like that there is more and more a separation between the illegal and legal graffiti (especially in Berlin), because some people think legal graffiti is not “real”. For me everything belongs together and I have big respect for the hardcore writers.

What do you do when you’re not painting?
Sports, working as graphic designer and video producer.

How would you describe your style?
Graphical, clean, abstract, versatile.

Can you remember the first piece you did?
Oh thats hard. I think there was one with a friends. After tagging the whole night, we painted a piece on the backsite of a transformer plant, which wasn’t seen by anyone, because it stood in the middle of a forest. 😀

Future plans?
Find my own way of painting abstract paintings on canvas. And for sure a lot of traveling!

What do you think about the new generation of writers in your city?
I don’t know if there are many new writers. When I started in my circle of friends graffiti was really hyped and everyone was tagging. I think graffiti is more like a special thing these days. But I am not into the young guns business. Sorry.

What are the best and worst aspects of graffiti?
Best: Doing the details at the end of spraying a piece and to come back at home and see what you done that day. And sure, the time with friends.
Worst: Haters, bad talking in the game about what writer X did last weekend and why writer Y is painting with writer Z…. blablabla..

Who do you paint for?
Myself and the girls. ;D

What do you hope people will think and feel when they see your stuff?
Tom says: “Oh thats a good style, the colors are amazing and look at the cleaness!” and Niko added: “I like the idea of that abstract look and how he arranged the forms and letters.”. Both are very happy. Tom sends money to Raws because of that awesome piece.

FIVE FAVORITES
Spray Paint: Montana Cans/ Montana Colors
City: Berlin
Markers/pens: All4One
Surface: Raw wall, abandoned places
Cap: One fatcap and one skinny cap.

Website: Rawsone.com
Instagram: @Rawsofficial
Facebook: Raws