Hello My Name Is: Skill

Name: Skill
Crew: Aerosolkings
City/Country: Antwerp, Belgium
When did you start writing? I started in the summer of 2001.

What’s graffiti for you?
To me graffiti is absolute freedom, an escape from daily life. When I’am painting i’m totally zen, then nothing else comes to mind.. Leaving the painted spot with the feeling a day was well spent is what I do it for.

Influences?
When I started I checked loads of magazines, but I know the first writers that caught my attention were Kesy, Dare, Can2.. and lots more of those classic styles.. These days the guys around me influence me the most, but also comic books have their share.

Tell us about your city, how is life and graffiti there?
Antwerp is quite a small city but life is good here, it’s a nice place to live. Graffiti over here has grown in a way that it becomes more accepted by the community, you see more graffiti-art in the streets of Antwerp city than ever before. Some districts now have graffiti-tours and they seem quite succesfull.

What keeps you still writing?
The passion for graffiti no doubt!

What first made you interested in graffiti and how did you end up on that track?
I went to art school in 1998 in the city of Antwerp (I used to live outside of the city), there I saw the first graffiti. Things became serious when I met some classmates who were already into graffiti and showing me pictures of their pieces on walls and trains. From that moment the graffiti-bug caught me.

What trends are you seeing now in the graffiti world that you don’t like?
You cannot deny that the internet got us all influenced, now we almost get an overload of styles while it seems the whole world is into graffiti and by that you see lots of the same things, styles and effects that seem to be ‘adopted’ by many writers…

What do you do when you’re not painting?
Of course there is the daily job, spending time with friends and family, sketching, planning the next edition for Meeting Of Styles Belgium.

How would you describe your style?
Tight and clean, balanced but never the same, I like to change and try out new things. Same thing goes for the characters.

Can you remember the first piece you did?
It was in september 2001, next to the train line close to Antwerp, it was a wall covered with some small trees and plants. The first half hour we mashed down a bunch of trees to make the wall visible, then I painted my first piece.

Future plans?
Hope to travel and visit more awesome places.

Do you adapt your pieces and tags to the spot/surface?
Yes, depending on the detail I planned to do. But I do love old dirty walls as much as new and smooth one’s.

What do you think about the new generation of writers in your city?
It is hard to say, because I just don’t know most of them in person, but I can tell you they improve faster these days than we did! I hear the older generation still’ saying how good things were back then, I do not have the need to do that, I rather like to exchange some knowledge with the younger generation.

What are the best and worst aspects of graffiti?
The best thing for me is that the possibilities are endless, and the fact that a spray can is actually an amazing tool, and gets more and more improved so that everyone with his own purpose has a perfect use to it. The worst aspect to me is still’ the lack of respect, writers who choose to crossover pieces they cannot burn. Some of them do not seem to understand that quantity is not equal to quality…

Who do you paint for?
Just for me, myself and I..

Can you ever feel tired of graffiti?
I don’t think so, I rather get tired of the people doing graffiti. Graffiti is everywhere and it became impossible for me to not check out graffiti that comes along my path.

What do you hope people will think and feel when they see your stuff?
I hope they like it of course but also realize that there is a lot of work and passion involved. You love it or you hate it I guess…

FIVE FAVORITES
Spray Paint: Montana Black
City: New York
Markers/pens: As long as they are juicy I’m good!
Surface: Love them all
Cap: Green Skinny Lv1

Website: www.aerosolkings.com
Instagram: @Skill_ak