Montana LOOKBOOK #08 / 2023

023
EDITION #08
MONTANA-CANS LOOKBOOK
WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM

#MontanaCans #GermanSpraypaint
WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM

Montana Cans #Highpressure
photography by Edward Nightingale

photography by Edward Nightingale

Montana Cans #GAMECHANGER

photography by Edward Nightingale

Montana Cans #GAMECHANGER #GERMANSPRAYPAINT

MONTANA
CANS
LOOKBOOK
2023
Graffiti has come a long way. What was
started by youth as an exploration of self in
a social environment that didn't seem to
care if they were there, has led to becoming
a global voice, practiced by many, and
heard by many more. Graffiti is everywhere.
In every free country and city, and probably
even in those that are not. Spreading like a
pandemic, contracting graffiti is not
life-threatening and is much more fun. It is
a part of the human condition, like a web
that weaves the fabric of society together,
regardless of socio-economic status, language,
location, education, or gender. To do
graffiti you just need an idea, and from
there you can transport it onto paper, walls,
streets, yards, or even your tablet.
The Montana LOOKBOOK is a homage
to this way of life we call graffiti. All the
people who practice it in every form, and to
those who give it a little something of their
soul that makes it unique and exciting year
after year. Montana Cans is proud to be
part of that journey. With every event we
support, whether it be for the kids down at
the local hall of fame, that gathering in the
national graffiti spotlight, or those grand
happenings that unite the world's best,
making history for generations to come.
Montana Cans celebrates how our culture
is continuously moving forward. We are
grateful for every artist that chooses our
brand, every event that values partnership
with us, every store that stocks our products,
and every person that reaches for a
Montana Cans product in the store in a
world full of choices. They are all one of us,
as we are one of them. A global family
connected by color.
In 2022, the Montana BLACK Limited
Edition Artist Series cans took it to another
level. This time taking the shine were some
of the Kings and Queens of the game, like
HOW & NOSM, and LAIA who gave their
chosen color from the Montana BLACK
range and gave it their personal touch. In
our Montana BLOG "Introducing" and "Interview"
series, we delved deeper into the
artistic practice of world-level artists like
ROIDS of the MSK crew, who continuously
reinvents what contemporary graffiti is
today, and Swedish artist Max Solca, who
knows exactly how to communicate to the
graffiti community and the general public
at the same time while making everyone
laugh in the process.
In the material world, we created lots
of cool new merch and collaborations
fulfilling the needs of any graffiti collector
or fan with products and articles that both
function and look good. We even collaborated
in the digital space offering the exciting
new freebie "World of Colors", for Procreate.
Even this LOOKBOOK that you have
in your hand is another deserving piece of
documented history that will earn a special
place on your bookshelf for years to come.
Let's focus on the good things in life
that we create, that fulfill us, and make our
world a more colorful place to live. Within
these two covers, we have tried to offer you
a small selection of BIG things that made
2022 great and will inspire us to make 2023
and beyond even more inspiring.
From the team at Montana Cans to
all the distributors, stores, artists, partners,
media partners, graffiti writers, followers,
supporters, creators, and fans, we say a big
THANK YOU for making graffiti so special.
We are all on the same team and are all
important. Without all of us, this phenomenon
would not be possible.
Montana-Cans LOOKBOOK 2023 Editorial
7

7 Editorial
10 Montana BLACK
Artist Edition:
HOWNOSM
16 Montana Black
Artist Edition:
LAIA
28 Introducing:
ROID
34 Introducing:
GOSPEL
40 CASE MACLAIM
at Metropolink:
The knife game
52 An interview with
SATR from China
62 The Words of the
beast: ALLISON
76 The inaugural
Pfffestival 2022
94 Travel Report
102 Montana color
swatches for
Procreate
106 Hafendampf Essen
2022: 12 years of
steam
112 Wall update by
Swedish graffiti artist
MAX SOLCA
122 An Update with
FUNCO from Paris,
France
128 Grand Opening –
Montana Store
Frankfurt
130 Latest Products
144 Imprint
8 LOOKBOOK 2023 content

The 23rd edition of the Montana
BLACK Artist Edition can featuring
LAIA – a Barcelona-born Spanish
graffiti artist, prolific style writer
and art maker.
16
10
The 24th release of the Montana
BLACK Artist Edition cans featured
the New York based artists HOW and
NOSM.
28
If you are into graffiti, urban or street
art, it is unlikely that you haven’t
heard of the London-born graffiti
artist ROIDS.
34
Introducing graffiti artist GOSPEL –
Singing praise for one of Greece’s
finest. Pure forms, solid colors, and
a noticeable influence of his native
Greek culture!
62
40
Layers of illusion, CASE painstakingly
builds up his images from a
primed background to a series of
complex compositions in Heidelberg.
Pablo Allison is a British/Mexican
artist that has managed to take
many of his interests in his art-making
practice to a new level.
78
The Pfffestival celebrated its inauguration
in the creation of large
scale murals in Stuttgart, Germany,
and an exhibition based around the
festival’s achievements.
For quite a while we have had our
eyes on Solca as his artworks impressed
us and made us smirk at
their clever motifs!
112
122
Far from obsolete, FUNCO breaks
the traditions of graffiti repetition
and yet manages to create a recognizable
form that is always a one-off.
9

HOWNOSM
Location
Profile
New York, USA @hownosm
Photography
Hownosm
MONTANA BLACK ARTIST
EDITION 24
P3000 Power red
↑ 13 floors of red,
black, and white. And
variations there of.
10 Black Artist Edition Hownosm

The 24th release of the Montana BLACK
Artist Edition cans featured the New York
based artists HOW and NOSM. Choosing
the color P3000 Power Red was no surprise
as one of the most powerful reds, a
color which is at the cornerstone of their
color schemes.
← Stopping all stations
globally. At home
in the Big Apple, the
HOWNOSM Montana
BLACK Artist Edition
can soon spread to
become a worldwide
collectible.
→ For HOW and NOSM
scale is no barrier.
Whether 10 storeys up
or intricately detailed
on canvas or paper.
↓ No words are required
when identifying
a HOW and NOSM
mural. There style is
like a DNA that is uniquely
theirs.
Black Artist Edition Hownosm
11

With their roots coming
from the trains,
HOW and NOSM show
that they are as talented
in the horizontal
as they are vertical.
12 Black Artist Edition Hownosm

Black Artist Edition Hownosm
13

As well as gradients of pink and grey, red is one of
the three iconic colors (including black and
white) adopted by the duo first due to practicality,
and later by choice. Combinations of red,
black, and white as eye-catching as they are, function
like a calling card for their world-renowned murals and
fine art. Raoul and Davide Perré are not only identical
twin brothers, but they are also the ultimate example of
creative partnership, synergy, and discipline. They have
been working as a team for as long as they have been
alive. Outgrowing their native Spain and adopted home
Germany, the duo set a path to the U.S.A relatively early
on in their career and they have called New York home
ever since.
→ The twins taking on
the monumental Bowery
Lane wall in New
York to show how it’s
done.
↘ Prism forms play a
calming role in HOW
and NOSM artwork
both in color and gray
tone. A soothing
reoccurrence that vibrates
and anchors.
↓ Reoccurring symbols,
shapes, and elements
drive the motor
of HOW and NOSM
artwork always returning
with a new
look and new appeal.
→ Stealth in the city.
It's not often the platforms
of New York
are blessed by royalty.
14 Black Artist Edition Hownosm

Black Artist Edition Hownosm
15

Laia
MONTANA BLACK ARTIST
EDITION 23
BLK400 1030 YELLOW
Location
Barcelona/Valencia,
Spain
← Yellow and Black,
that’s where it’s at..
↓ Not afraid of going
big, LAIA turns to
Montana BLACK
Black for the ultimate
contrast on white.
Photography
@adrianrobos
Profile
@iamlaia
16 Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia

← Loud and proud,
the Montana BLACK
Artist Edition can design
#23 by LAIA.
↑ Tunnel vision as a
little fun in the sun
unfolds for LAIA.
The 23rd edition of the Montana
BLACK Artist Edition can featuring
LAIA. The Barcelona-born Spanish
graffiti artist is not only a prolific
style writer and art maker, but she is
also the reason why Montana BLACK
Artist Edition can users and collectors
have a great reason to have a
smile on their dials.
Choosing the Montana BLACK color Yellow
BLK1030 was probably not much of a
surprise for any fan of LAIA’s fun-loving
artwork. A color often used by the artist,
yellow not only features frequently in the happy yet very
clever letters of her graffiti writing practice, but it is also
a color heavily used in her design work including her
Montana Cans Cotton Bag designs.
Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia
17

LAIA isn’t all fun and games though. Apart from being
prolific, her creative concepts are also quirky, innovative,
and symbolic. Often using known pop culture
icons like the smiley face, LAIA’s creative reach has
extended well beyond Barcelona. Dynamic colors
applied in opaque solid modes complement the
refined images that have found their way on art prints,
canvases, walls, bags, and even clothing. Rainbows,
smiling faces, drips, bubbles, and arrows are just
some of the universal elements that LAIA has managed
to give her personal touch.
Proving once again that less can be more, LAIA’s design
for the 23rd Montana BLACK Artist Edition can design
uses the colors yellow, black, and white to get her jovial
message across.
LAIA isn’t all fun and games
though. Apart from being prolific,
her creative concepts are also
quirky, innovative, and symbolic.
← No need to over
cook the broth. On
raw concrete LAIA
shows how the Montana
BLACK line has
got you covered.
↓ Double trouble at
the wall. Just prior to
the can’s release in a
secret spot at an undisclosed
location.
18 Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia

← A graffiti tradition.
Nothing hides an identity
from the paparazzi
like a Montana BLACK
can in front of your eyes.
MC
Where does graffiti fit into your life at the moment? Are
you a graffiti writer doing other things to survive, are
you a designer with a graffiti habit, or is it completely
different for you? What drives you to get up and get
going each day?
LAIA
Right now graffiti fits everywhere in my life. It’s my
hobby, my passion, and it’s also my job, I don’t work
exclusively just painting, but I do work doing 100%
graffiti-related things. Designs for brands, collaborations,
murals, and whatever comes my way. Every day is
a new adventure, and every project is different. I also
have a small online store. I can say that I have become a
workaholic now that I like what I do, and that is an
incredible motivation to get up every day and continue
doing what I like the most. When I started painting, I
would never have thought that this could be happening,
it’s wonderful.
An Interview with Spanish graffiti artist
LAIA
Montana Cans
Tell us a little about where LAIA is at right now.
LAIA
At the moment I find myself living between Valencia and
Barcelona, which was my hometown. Two years ago I
decided to move to Valencia in search of peace and calm
to be able to work while listening to the birds. This was
impossible in Barcelona. There, I lived in the center of the
city and worked in the city center. So, I never really left
the “stress zone”. I needed the calm that Valencia has to
offer, which is a big city but at the same time a lot more
peaceful. Now I miss Barcelona. It’s a strange love/hate
thing. When I need movement, hustle, and bustle, I go to
Barcelona. And for the rest, I stay in Valencia.
↑ “La, La, La”, but no
blah blah.
← No undercoating
needed. One of the
reasons why LAIA
turns to the Montana
BLACK 1030 Yellow to
rock the spot.
MC
If you had to choose one of the two cities permanently,
which would it be?
LAIA
If I had to stay permanently in one of them, I would stay
in Barcelona.
Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia
19

POP! There isn’t any
need for unnecessary
elements when the
concrete is clean and
the cans are Montana
BLACK.
20 Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia

Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia
21

MC
You grew up in Barcelona, a destination for many graffiti
practitioners with some edgy characteristics. Are there
any things you do now that you can attribute to having
grown up there?
To me, heroes are people who help
the world to be a much better place,
this is not the case if you are just a
graffiti writer.
LAIA
Yes, I think that Barcelona has always had a very
avant-garde style thanks to being located “at the gates
of Europe”. As well as receiving thousands of graffiti
writer guests from all over the world.
I’ve been doing almost the same since I
started painting, I like to keep it that way. I’ve always
used the same types of forms and elements, and all this
comes from those golden times in the city. A time when
every day when we woke up, there were new pieces
done by people from all over the globe. They brought
with them their different styles and new lots of new
information. All of that was an inspiration to me.
MC
Do you have a favorite local graffiti hero?
LAIA
In my opinion, there are no heroes in graffiti, only crazy
people who are capable of doing anything. To me,
heroes are people who help the world to be a much
better place, this is not the case if you are just a graffiti
writer. If you save puppies in bad conditions, heal them,
take care of them, love them and look for a happy family,
you are a hero to me. But if you paint 20 trains in one
night jumping 30 walls that were all 50 meters high, you
are either crazy, courageous, or both.
MC
How does Barcelona vary from other Spanish or even
European cities in your experience?
LAIA
Barcelona has the sea, mountains, good weather, great
architecture, history, diversity, and a thousand things to
visit and do. It’s a cool city with new things happening
every day. The people are generally open-minded and
each area is different. Everybody has plans all the time
and as for graffiti, it’s a crazy city. It’s kind of like some
kind of amusement park for graffiti writers. However,
this is not so good for you if you are a local like us.
Outsiders often paint things in an “easy” manner which
makes spots hot and is sometimes stressful if you
arrive after them. But I love it. I know it’s an amazing
city, and for that reason, everyone wants to visit!
LAIA switching it up a
bit. When the rails
lead to the freights.
22 Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia

← Rail duty. LAIA hits
the line in simple, elegant
style.
MC
We can imagine that you have been asked many questions
about being a female writer in a male-dominated game.
And possibly having those questions asked by males.
What’s your position on this? What questions do you think
are important that female writers should be asked?
LAIA
Some female writers have inspired
me a lot. It has not been because of
their painting technique, their
letters, or their colors, but by their
strength, their desire, their impetus,
and their trajectory.
It’s strange. Sometimes I think I don’t want to answer
questions about “the woman in graffiti” because in this
way we will never have equality. I want to be treated as if
I am a writer, regardless of whether I am male or female.
My answer has always been something along the lines
of, “to paint you need to use your hands, both women
and men have those”.
But other times I feel it is necessary to explain
to the world the reality of how this works if you are a
female writer and what many women have had to go
through. For example, many people believe that everything
is much easier and that there are more opportunities
if you are female. But mostly, it is the opposite. It is
an extensive issue.
On the other hand, I like to talk about these
kinds of things because they are necessary. But there
are also women writers giving bad examples within the
graffiti community and taking advantage of their female
figures. Something that embarrasses the others that
are trying to be taken seriously without consideration of
gender. I think now is the time to work very hard on this,
for all parties.
MC
Are there any female writers of note that were particularly
inspiring or influential to you?
LAIA
Some female writers have inspired me a lot. It has not
been because of their painting technique, their letters,
or their colors, but by their strength, their desire, their
impetus, and their trajectory. I am more inspired by
people and their personalities than what they paint.
Because sometimes I like what they create, and sometimes
I don’t. But they all inspire me equally.
MC
Your artwork often seems light-hearted, colorful,
spontaneous, and with a feeling of positivity. Is this
an accurate interpretation or do act take it very
seriously with lots of preparation and forethought for
each piece?
LAIA
There is no preparation, it’s freestyle. It is how it comes
out of my head. I like cheerful colors and positive
elements. I live surrounded by them: vintage toys,
comics (Hanna-Barbera, Disney, etc.), and all kinds of
cheerful freaks. So my brain already thinks in this
Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia
23

MC
Your pieces carry a lot of traditional graffiti elements
like illustrative drips, bubbles, stars, and fat highlights.
What elements do you like using the most and why?
LAIA
I like to use a thousand things and at the same time my
pieces look “simple.” Sometimes it is difficult to know
when I have to stop adding things. I love using fat
highlights. I love everything that shines a lot. The drops
too. They make me see my pieces as if they were
something sweet and edible like cake or ice cream.
Something that you will never see me doing is a classic
bubble background!
MC
Wait a minute… Did you just say you wouldn’t do a
cloud/bubble background? This is interesting. Why is
that? These are fundamentals of graffiti, like arrows,
shadows, and outlines.
LAIA
I know, but I prefer to paint backgrounds that look like
slime, bricks, stars, or whatever. I don’t know why but I
don’t like the classic bubble background with big
bubbles, small bubbles, and millions of bubbles of all
sizes mixed. I think it reminds me of the kind of elements
you use in your first pieces. Don’t get me wrong, I
have full respect for those who do bubbles! Especially if
they do them well. But they are not for me.
↑ Always ready, LAIA
can proudly carry her
Artist Edition Montana
BLACK cans in her
own design “Take
Away” Montana Cotton
Bag.
↘ LAIA has perfected
the “less is more”
technique and chosen
black, yellow, and
white to achieve it.
I like to use a thousand things and
at the same time my pieces look
“simple.” Sometimes it is difficult
to know when I have to stop adding
things.
direction when I go to paint. Normally when I prepare
sketches, in the end, I always end up doing other things.
I think my head is made to enjoy the act of painting, let it
flow freely, and in terms of graffiti, it does not accept
much preparation in advance.
MC
Which comics would we find on your bookshelf?
LAIA
You would find many old Hanna-barbera or Disney
comics and books from the 70s and 80s for example.
That kind of drawing fascinates me.
24 Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia

MC
How did the design for the Montana BLACK Artist
Edition can come about, and is there a back story to why
it is as it is?
LAIA
Yes, I always thought that if one day I was going to
design a spray can, everyone would believe I would do it
with a thousand beautiful and fun colors. I wanted to
break that mold. Simplicity is sometimes better! I
eventually decided to design it with some very traditional
graffiti elements, such as the Throw-Up. I combined
that with my “quiet” approach when I paint murals. For
this, I chose the combination of two colors that to me
represent classic in the street graffiti. Those colors
were black and yellow. I did not want to fall into the
typical stigma of “Oh, she is a girl and does beautiful
things that look feminine” (how horrible). I paint graffiti,
all types, and in all its modalities. So I made a mix.
It is like collecting, I need to collect
memories of places that I have
visited and after visiting one place,
I need another, and another, and
another.
↑ In all there glory, a
display box full of LAIA
Artist Edition cans
moonlighting in front
of her work in the Montana
Store Vienna.
↓ Not to mention the
limited edition Montana
BLACK LAIA t-shirt
design that was released
in an exclusive
print run to celebrate
the release of the can.
MC
And what made you choose the color Yellow over
another variation of the color yellow?
LAIA
As I said, sometimes simplicity is better! Why choose a
variant of yellow when you can have the king of yellows?
Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia
25

MC
What was your favorite Montana BLACK Artist Edition
can previous to your own?
LAIA
I don’t have a distinct favorite can because there are
many that I like. Especially those where the design
incorporates the bare metal of the can and the color is
very metallic. I love those! I consider that they are all
incredible, so I cannot say some names and forget
others that also deserve it.
MC
You seem to have a healthy thirst for travel. In your
opinion, are you running to something, or running away
from something? What comes first, the destination, or
the reason to go there?
LAIA
Traveling is my Number 1 passion! Well actually traveling
and painting, so when the two things come together
it is incredible. My parents have always loved to travel,
so I started traveling when I was very young. They
always took me with them everywhere they went in the
world. It is like collecting, I need to collect memories of
places that I have visited and after visiting one place, I
need another, and another, and another.
I also believe that it is a very healthy way to escape the
monotony of day-to-day problems. And as a bonus,
when I travel I feel that I enrich my head and my person
with new experiences, cultures, smells, flavors, history,
etc. It is super enriching, no matter destiny. It only
matters to move my ass to the other side! I do not plan
to leave this earth until I have traveled over all of it!
MC
Of all the commercial projects you have worked on that
are graffiti based or related to graffiti, what were the
best and the worse?
I do not plan to leave this earth until
I have traveled over all of it!
LAIA
I don’t know how to explain exactly which is the worst or
best. Many people valuable the best because of the
amount of money or fame they have gained. Or the jobs
which made them the most famous within the game.
For me, the best jobs are those where I have learned the
most and was treated the best as a person. Even if I was
painting a freebie for example. Sometimes the best jobs
are the worst ones. And the worst the best.
I value the human treatment and interaction behind each
project and I have participated in other so-called incredible
projects in which I was left feeling empty inside when
they were over. There were other projects with very little
to no budget that I would do again even now.
MC
Where do you see the commercialization of graffiti
going? Do you think the artists are in control of their
destinies or is business steering public art of this type
in the direction they want it to go?
In general, I think it’s great that
everyone does what they want with
their work, I’m not one of those
writers who thinks that when you sell
your work “you’re no longer real”.
LAIA
Well, I think the world is going a little crazy with this. I
think businesses are running too much without knowing
what they are doing. For example, they have managed to
call anything “graffiti” now. There are too many “Graffiti”
festivals where the artists are muralists who have never
touched a spray can, and none of them say “Hey! We are
muralists, not graffiti writers”, because it suits them. So
it’s a cycle that doesn’t end and it is expanding. This
often leaves the graffiti writer in a bad place because
the world has now “learned” that graffiti is also a huge
face painted on a building with brushes. So why hire a
writer to draw some letters?
In general, I think it’s great that everyone does what they
want with their work, I’m not one of those writers who
thinks that when you sell your work “you’re no longer
real”. I don’t care, I sell my work and I’m doing projects, so
I’m marketing the work and myself. But I’m never going to
go away from my initial values ​and the great respect I
have for all of this that the writers like myself call graffiti.
I think you can have control of your work, it’s just about
accepting or rejecting the right things. Even though businesses
and institutions are directing this where they want.
MC
What is your favorite Montana Cap and can combination
and why?
LAIA
I always paint with Black and I only use two Caps. The
medium fat for filling, details, background, etc. And the
standard cap on the can for outlines and highlights.
Nothing more. When I started there was very little variety,
and I got used to it. I grew up like this. I don’t need more.
Some interesting perspectives and a lot to think about
for any artists entering the commercial space with their
artwork regardless of their gender. We can assume that
more artistically innovative and classic works are going
to come from the wonderful mind of LAIA. Will she ever
embrace the bubble background, and how will she steer
her passion and career from here? Watch this space…
26 Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia

Even though size isn’t
everything, it does
have its benefits if
your an artist like LAIA
and your work has to
burn with only three
contrasting colors.
Black Artist Edition/Interview Laia
27

Introducing
graffiti
artist
Roids
Location
London, UK
Profile
@willis82
Photography
Roids
Not enough boxes
to tick
↑ Breaking the chains
of graffiti and simplifying
in the process.
28 Artist in focus Roids

If you are into graffiti, urban art, street art,
or graffiti fine art, it is unlikely that you
haven't heard of the London-born graffiti
artist ROIDS. Although active long before,
it was around 2008 - 2012 that the graffiti
world was taken aback by the supreme
precision and innovation of this groundbreaking
artist.
His artwork became a driving force on a
global stage.
Starting in his hometown of London and rapidly
spilling over the borders to Europe and the
world beyond, via the internet, graffiti print
press, and soon after via the praise of the fine
art and design worlds, the name ROIDS found itself not
only speaking to a larger audience, his artwork also
became a driving force on a global stage.
A point that was reiterated by a successful
entry in the exhibiting of illustration
work in 2011 at the Known Gallery and
followed by a sellout debut solo gallery
show in 2012 at Topsafe gallery.
His 2008 alliance with the U.S-based crew
MSK only ramped things up further as his well-earned
street cred now steamrolled forwards catching the eye
of not only the graffiti international graffiti community
but also the international fine artists, curators, designers,
and collectors nationally and abroad. A point that
was reiterated by a successful entry in the exhibiting of
illustration work in 2011 at the Known Gallery and
followed by a sellout debut solo gallery show in 2012 at
Topsafe gallery.
↖ With only black,
white and gray, ROIDS
explores his unique
merge of graffiti and
typography.
↑ Installed and in-
↑ thralled. Viewers
are drawn to ROIDS’s
work on levels above
and beyond graffiti.
↑ A brave move, removing
most, if not
all, elements of the
background only
makes the eye trawl
deeper into his impressive
letters.
Artist in focus Roids
29

Like building blocks
that get a regular
reinvention, seeing
ROIDS’s style progress
over the last 10
years has been like
updates on telephone
apps. Each time something
cool happens
that you may
not be aware of in
the moment.
30 Artist in focus Roids

Artist in focus Roids
31

It makes you wonder
if the design comes
first, and then the wall
to paint it? Or is it the
wall that comes first
and then the right design
for it?
The glue that holds it all together is graffiti
So what is it that makes ROIDS so unique? Is it that you
always know it's a ROIDS piece even if you can't read it?
Is it that no matter how he changes his style, technique,
or approach to making art that it never looks like anyone
else's? Or is it that every time you see a ROIDS piece in
the flesh you can't help but stop and ask yourself how
something so perfect was made by hand? The experience
is most likely different for each viewer depending
on their orientation. However, the glue that holds it all
together is graffiti. His one true love, the reason to get
out of bed and keep exploring, that thing that lights the
fire for all the creative endeavors he pursues.
Is it that no matter how he changes his
style, technique, or approach to making art
that it never looks like anyone else's?
↑ Weighty lettering
that in effect is actually
floating on a gray
plane.
Graffiti of every orientation, typography,
illustration, design, manga, retro computer graphics, or
even 80s and 90s nostalgia. Who cares, throw it all in
the mix, and if you are lucky you might get close to
ticking some of the boxes that describe the elements
that can be found in ROIDS artworks. Artworks that can
32 Artist in focus Roids

← Being held together
or falling apart? No
one ever really knows
when it comes to
ROIDS’s ambiguous
compositions.
↑ When color is added,
it’s time to bring
out the big guns and
make it pop.
be found on paper, canvas, walls, wood, trains, and most
likely many other places all over the world. Many are
embellished with the enduring vibrance of carefully
chosen Montana GOLD and BLACK can colors.
Even though his Instagram account @willis82
tells us he has 60K followers, Will Gates as he is also
known as is far from a follower. As one of the most
innovative contemporary graffiti artists, we look
forward to seeing which path he will take next.
Artworks that can be found on paper, canvas,
walls, wood, trains, and most likely
many other places all over the world.
→ Always twists and
turns, ROIDS never
gets stuck in a style
rut.
Artist in focus Roids
33

graffiti
artist
gospel
introducing
Singing praise for one of
Greece's finest
There are many schools of thought regarding the names, words, and letters used to
create graffiti. Do they have a meaning, what do they symbolize, or do the letters look
good in combination with each other? These are all questions that graffiti writers will ask
themselves at some point in time, and the viewers of their work will ask themselves from
the beginning.
Location
Athens, Greece
Photography
Gospel
Profile
@gospel.ath
↖ Some of GOSPEL’s
signature style elements;
masks, tracksuit
clothing, sneakers,
and workers
vests.
34 Artist in focus/Interview Gospel

→ With a tendence to
limited color palettes,
GOSPEL’s imagery is
unlimited.
Pure forms, solid colors, and a noticeable
influence of his native Greek culture
The Greek artist GOSPEL stirs up our thoughts as
his whole graffiti identity has been built up on a
word that itself conjures up a maze of possible
interpretations. To add to the mystery of the use
of the word GOSPEL as a tag, his artwork also lights our
imaginations with the skilled delivery of pure forms,
solid colors, and a noticeable influence of his native
Greek culture regarding his color palette and pictorial
symbolism.
Any color as long as it's white, black, red,
or blue
Born in Karditsa in 1990, GOSPEL is a multidisciplinary
artist which particular strengths in graffiti, murals, and
illustration. Residing in Athens, it is not just there that
you can see his unforgettable works, however, it is
undeniable the influence and presence Athens has
within it. GOSPEL's designs capture a healthy blend of
Greek culture and graffiti culture references which find
themselves captured in his unique use of solid color
layers. Mostly in variations of white, black, red, and
blue. All of these are thrown down with his favorite
Montana GOLD and BLACK cans.
A groove that he has taken ownership
of with reoccurring practices
like letters without outlines, and
steering away from fades, and all
done with the perfection of the
spray can.
The graffiti scene in Athens, although receiving
its deserved shine a little late in its development by
the greater graffiti audience, offers many strong
references for GOSPEL to play on. Bombed trains inside
and out, masked identities, hooded writers in classic
graffiti uniforms, Greek gods, and mythology. These
references all find their way into his various interpretations.
Adding to the mix the full array of graffiti elements
such as informed letter structure, well-executed
hand styles, arrows, and opaque fill-ins, GOSPEL has
found a niche that is truly his own. A groove that he has
taken ownership of with reoccurring practices like
letters without outlines, and steering away from fades,
and all done with the perfection of the spray can.
Through our recent collaboration with GOSPEL
in the creation of his Montana Cotton Bag designs, we
thought it an appropriate time to ask those unanswered
questions about who GOSPEL is and what GOSPEL
stands for.
An interview with GOSPEL
Montana Cans
The word GOSPEL is often connected with the practice
of singing songs of religious praise. And in a lot of
cases in modern-day Christianity. But what does this
word mean to you and how did you take ownership of it
for the purpose of graffiti?
GOSPEL
Well. This is a question I have been asked by many
people I have met so far during my artistic journey. The
answer may seem a little funny or childish to you. It
comes from my favorite hip-hop song "Ghetto Gospel".
Tupac was and still is my favorite rapper. This track
came out around the time I was taking my first steps
Artist in focus/Interview Gospel
35

into the graffiti world. I can't explain it exactly but for
some reason, that's why this particular word created a
lot of emotions for me and I started to write it on the
walls and my school desk. At that time my friends and I
created our first graffiti crew. Very beautiful times that I
often miss. As the years went by and I followed more
career path in the field of art, I sometimes thought
about changing my tag to something more mature, but
in the end, I concluded that I had become attached to it
and nothing else filled me as the word GOSPEL does.
Just because it reminded me (and still reminds me) of
where I started and with whom. This signature, therefore,
encloses a beautiful part of my life and my artistic
career up to this day.
MC
The colors black, white, blue, and red play a strong role
in your work. What are the origins of this color choice?
G
I am a sea lover. I consider it to be one of the most
important pieces of Greek culture. I spent all my
childhood summers on a beautiful island in the northern
Aegean called Limnos. This particular island is my
mother's birthplace. There I fell in love with the blue I
could see on the fishermen's boats and the windows of
the houses on the island. I was also always struck by
how beautifully this blue blended with the sunlight-white
walls and red flowers of the island. As well
as the red life jackets of the ships I traveled on. This
combination of these colors from an early age created
very beautiful feelings for me. Over the years, and after
having tried many different techniques, around 2018 I
ended up with this color palette adding the black color
to give more contrast. Since then it has been my main
color identity with small additions of blue, pink, and
gray tones from time to time.
MC
Which colors in the Montana BLACK or GOLD range are
you using for these 4 colors?
G
I use to paint with Montana BLACK. My favorite colors
are “Lollipop’’ and ”Horizon”. They work perfectly with
black and white.
I was also always struck by how
beautifully this blue blended with
the sunlight-white walls and red
flowers of the island. As well as the
red life jackets of the ships I traveled
on.
← A little of everything
from Greek graffiti
culture, GOSPEL
merges multiple visual
messages with the
Greek subway car
serving as the glue
for them all.
36 Artist in focus/Interview Gospel

↑ “Protect What Left
Alive”. With little detail
this picture is clear
that we need to protect
our environment.
← Visual communication.
Depth and emotion
captured in the
clever use of 4 solid
colors.
When it comes to the graffiti side
there is a very strong core of talented
people in both its illegal and
legal forms.
MC
Your work often portrays masked figures, with tracksuits,
sneakers, and baseball caps on. Is this the
unwritten uniform for writers in Athens?
G
To a certain extent yes. Of course, I also add the element
of fantasy to the way I portray my characters. I
also borrow a lot of ideas from vintage clothing and old
90s football team looks.
MC
Do you see your artwork as uniquely Greek? And how do
you feel when its context changes due to its location?
(i.e. Does a classic GOSPEL piece function equally as
well in London or Sydney as it does in Athens in your
opinion?)
G
I created this style thinking of combining the Greek
element with the graffiti culture. But I don't think that
this particular style is only for my country. On the
contrary, I borrow pieces of Greek culture to turn them
into a global design language through my images, just
like graffiti.
MC
What is the source for much of the symbolism you use
in your work?
G
I paint mainly themes from the graffiti area as well as
the urban environment. One of the main symbols of my
work is the hidden faces of my characters. Apart from
the fact that the hidden face is intertwined with the
graffiti, it also gives the possibility, in my opinion, to the
viewer to identify more easily with the character of the
image, as well as to create his own story around him
with his imagination. I believe that when you show your
face people are more engaged with it. Whereas when
you hide it, you transfer the power to your actions and
create a myth and a mystery around them. For me, it's
not so much the faces that matter, but the ideas behind
them. This is what I try to capture through my characters.
MC
Living in a city like Athens with all its history and
heritage, what is your point of view on which buildings,
walls, or surfaces you can or cannot paint on? Are there
any rules you guys abide by that outsiders may not be
aware of or is everything fair game?
Artist in focus/Interview Gospel
37

G
Athens has always been a meeting center for many
types of arts throughout the years. When it comes to
the graffiti side there is a very strong core of talented
people in both its illegal and legal forms. Over the years
I have experienced both sides and respect them equally.
In my opinion, Athens is an easy city to paint. I think this
is the reason why more and more writers have been
visiting it in recent years. For me, you can paint wherever
you want except to destroy statues and monuments.
MC
Over your graffiti history, what role have graffiti tourists
or visitors to Athens had on how your local scene has
developed?
G
I think that the interaction with other countries in this
piece played a very important role in our country and its
evolution in graffiti. Apart from the tourists who come
every month for holidays and to paint in our country,
historical graffiti festivals have also taken place in
Athens in the past with invited important writers from
other countries. This to a large extent shaped the
subsequent development of this culture in our country.
In my opinion, one of the highlights was the festival in
Thisio in 1998 with invited historical writers such as
Seen, Ces, Cantwo, etc.
I was also always struck by how
beautifully this blue blended with
the sunlight-white walls and red
flowers of the island. As well as the
red life jackets of the ships I traveled
on.
↑ Inside, outside, or
on the street? In this
design GOSPEL blurs
the line in reference
to the illusion of
space.
← Saying something
with little words.
Blues, reds, black,
and white are GO-
SPEL’s vocabulary.
38 Artist in focus/Interview Gospel

Atlantis the god of the
sea. Ruler of the ocean
life, collector of
thrown away plastic
bottles.
MC
If you could live and work in another city outside of
Greece, which would it be and why?
G
I would choose Rome or Barcelona I think. I admire the
Italian as well as the Spanish culture and I think it is very
close to the Greek in terms of mentality and aesthetics.
MC
What is your favorite Montana Cans cap and can
combination and why?
G
My favorite Montana Cans cap is the ‘’Level 1’’ cap. It is
very convenient for me because it is very precise and
helps me a lot in making very clean lines and details.
Also, its other very basic advantage is that it is very soft
and ideal for painting for long hours without straining
my hand. My favorite Montana Cans Black color combination
is ‘’LOLLIPOP-HORIZON-BABY BLUE-SNOW
WHITE-BLACK’’
GOSPEL has well and truly shown that contemporary graffiti doesn't have to look
like the many generations of graffiti before it. And yet still have the same weight
and substance in a different context. This however doesn't give us any secrets as
to which direction GOSPEL graffiti will go in the future. All the more reason to
keep observing and following his work.
You can do that here:@gospel.ath gospelath.bigcartel.com
Artist in focus/Interview Gospel
39

Case
maclaim
at metropolink – The Knife Game
In 2022, the German artist CASE of the Maclaim crew returned to the
German city of Heidelberg for the METROPOLINK festival for urban art.
No stranger to the city which is also home to Montana Cans, it is not the
first time that CASE has been featured at the METROPLINK event. This
time, however, CASE well and truly showed everyone how it’s done when it
comes to painting hands, hand gestures, and hand-related images.
Location
Heidelberg, Germany
Profile
@case_maclaim
Photography
Niko Neithardt @studio_portazul
Alexander Krziwanie, Montana Cans
↓ Layers of illusion,
CASE painstakingly
builds up his images
from a primed background
to a series
of complex compositions.
40 Production/Recap Case Maclaim at Metropolink

← Patience and selfdiscipline
are a must
to bring a concept
like “The Knife Game”
to completion.
↑ Any tone as long as
it’s earthy. Ingredients
for the handfs
CASE has become famous
for.
Sleight of hand
In an artwork that encompasses 7 individual artworks
within it, CASE’s large-scale and somewhat
haunting mural brought all 7 individual images
together to form 1 unified composition. It is no
secrete that CASE, aka Andrea Von Chrzanowski, is
fascinated with the human hand, its fingers, its gestures,
and all the information that can be captured
within the skin and bone of these practical and at the
same time mystic bodily features. Taking his love of
hands, fingers, and hand gestures to new heights, this
time CASE’s composition takes a look at the confronting
practice of the Knife Game.
Taking his love of hands, fingers, and hand
gestures to new heights, this time CASE’s
composition takes a look at the confronting
practice of the Knife Game.
↑ On the sidelines,
the METROPOLINK
back up team keeps
refreshments close
at hand with a smile
and a laugh.
With its new home at the METROPOLINK h.q
of the former U.S. military barracks, the Patrick-Henry
Village, the first six images show different phases of a
hand with a knife tip frantically passing between each
Production/Recap Case maclaim at metropolink
41

The acrylic rolled and
hand painted base
colors make for a perfect
ground for the
aerosol embellishments.
42 Production/Recap Case Maclaim at Metropolink

Production/Recap Case maclaim at metropolink
43

set of open fingers. A merging of roller and brush which
is then polished with the fine-tuned abilities of CASE's
aerosol can techniques. The final layer of the image is a
photo-realistically painted rendition of the same hand,
with its owner appearing to be in the starting (or finishing)
position of the game.
The Knife Game
The viewer is left to come to their own conclusions after
they manage to stop being distracted by all the finite
enthralling technical details that CASE has managed to
bring together the rougher, rawer mark-making. Trying
to find where the use of where the Montana BLACK and
GOLD cans end and the acrylic roller and brushwork
↖ A close up of the
hand that creates the
hands.
↑ Up close and personal,
the real CASE
MACLAIM aka Andreas
Von Chrzanowski.
↓ Way up above the
ground on a scissor
lift, CASE stays
grounded as details
get more and more
engaging.
Skill, strong nerves, and a steady hand are
required to assure the fragile fingers are
left unscathed. With little skin or protection,
as the knife speeds up the risk for the
player increases.
start, is a challenge amongst the impressive yet seemingly
effortless merge of liquid and spray-based paint.
A technique that alludes to a merging of the old with the
new. In real life, the knife game is the challenge for the
player to stab between the empty spaces of their open
fingers while the sharp tip of the blade speeds into the
open gaps. Skill, strong nerves, and a steady hand are
required to assure the fragile fingers are left unscathed.
With little skin or protection, as the knife speeds up the
risk for the player increases. And as long as the knife
doesn't hit, where or when does the game end? CASE
makes us wonder about the stakes for the player whose
hand we see on a grand scale. Will it end in triumph, or
will it end in blood?
↓ The finishing touches
as the dust
starts to settle and
“The Knife Game” is
nearly finished.
44 Production/Recap Case Maclaim at Metropolink

→ No time to waste,
the sun is down but
the lights are on allowing
CASE to keep
pushing through his
mural to meet the
deadline.
↓ Rome wasn’t built
in a day, but seeing it
being built would
have probably been
like watching a CASE
mural come to completion.
Production/Recap Case maclaim at metropolink
45

→ A haunting backdrop
to music and
festivities. The Knife
Game gives visitors
of METROPOLINK
and the Patrick-Henry
Village a unique experience.
← Not just a venue for
urban art and murals,
the METROPOLINK
headquarters also
plays host to music,
theater, exhibitions,
and other happenings
associated with the
festival.
↓ “The Knife Game”
comfortably finds its
new home amongst
the crowd of festival
goers.
46 Production/Recap Case Maclaim at Metropolink

Production/Recap Case maclaim at metropolink
47

When the sun goes
down the METROP-
OLINK Festival offers
something for everyone
that wants to be
impressed.
↓ The region of Heidelberg
is strongly
anchored in the German
history of Hip
Hop and street based
music. Something
that METROPOLINK
celebrates.
Plenty to celebrate
Since 2015, the METROPOLINK festival supported by
Montana Cans, has hosted a wide range of contemporary
street art, graffiti, urban fine art, and mural creation.
Not only does the festival support the visual arts,
it also plays host to a wide range of musical, theatrical,
and site-specific happenings which add value to the
city’s cultural portfolio while utilizing urban spaces that
otherwise would not be hosts for the arts. Not only does
METROPOLINK bring art from Heidelberg and the
surrounding region to the city's open spaces, but it also
invites art and artists from all over the world to culturally
enrich the global artistic community.
→ Cheers, to a great
day and the potentially
greater evening
that is soon to be had.
↑ Always twists and
turns, ROIDS never
gets stuck in a style rut.
Not only does the festival support the visual
arts, it also plays host to a wide range of
musical, theatrical, and site-specific happenings
which add value to the city’s cultural
portfolio while utilizing urban spaces that
otherwise would not be hosts for the arts.
48 Production/Recap Case Maclaim at Metropolink

↑ Hanging out with
the fam, visitors of all
ages unite to look,
dance, and listen to
what’s going on at
METROPOLINK.
↓ Some container action.
A much loved
surface for graffiti
writers, muralists,
and artists alike.
↗ The Patrick-Henry
Village has become
an ongoing open-air
museum of world
classed artwork and
murals.
→ All eyes on us. Underneath
these sunglasses
are a wealth of
talent and innovation.
Production/Recap Case maclaim at metropolink
49

↑ It takes more than a
double take to see the
complexity of what is
going on in this artwork
that extends over
multiple surfaces.
→ As a former U.S.
Army base, the Patrick-Henry
Village
leaves some interesting
surfaces behind
for artists to reinvent.
50 Production/Recap Case Maclaim at Metropolink

Samy Deluxe and
Sweet Uno getting
their spray on the oldschool
way.
Production/Recap Case maclaim at metropolink
51

An interview with
Satr
↑ SATR bringing her
unique mural to life at
the Stadt.Wand.
Kunst project in
Mannheim, Germany.
Location
China, Germany
Profile
@satrxx
Photography
Kish, Alexander Krziwanie
52 Interview/Artist in focus Satr

Graffiti as a practice can often be far removed
from nature. As if an ecosystem of its own, it
is a culture that developed many generations
ago, spawned by a band of youth trying
to stand out amongst the chaos of concrete and the
steel in an environment that had most natural elements
already removed. more than forty years later, a unique
circumstance arose. Graffiti in China. A modern ecosystem
of concrete and steel, intensively populated by
humans. Also from this recipe, many new bands of
youth arose with the same creative drive.
The Chinese artist SATR could be
considered one of these youths who
has now grown to be a very conscious
creative adult. With 2 major
aspects of uniqueness, coating her
creative amor.
↓ SATR. One of the
new faces of Chinese
street art and contemporary
graffiti.
Interview/Artist in focus Satr
53

The Chinese artist SATR could be considered
one of these youths who has now grown to be a very
conscious creative adult. With 2 major aspects of uniqueness,
coating her creative amor. Not only is SATR female
in an otherwise male-dominated game, but she is also an
artist with traditional graffiti roots who has turned her
focus back to nature, creating amazing animal-based
motifs that are recognized all over the world.
Not only is SATR female in an otherwise
male-dominated game, but she
is also an artist with traditional graffiti
roots who has turned her focus
back to nature, creating amazing
animal-based motifs that are recognized
all over the world.
↗ A nice elevated
spot, who knew she
would soon rise to
even greater heights.
→ East meets west,
the throw up in western
lettering sits nicely
amongst the Chinese
typography.
↓ You have to acknowledge
your roots.
And for SATR, they
were on the streets.
↑ SATR knows the
game. It’s all about
location, location,
location.
↗ When space is at a
premium, choose
your lettering wisely.
← Before there was
amazing animals and
tonal skills, there was
graffiti.
→ Almost like a set
from a science fiction
film, this highway
bridge if given new
life in dim light.
54 Interview/Artist in focus Satr

Interview/Artist in focus Satr
55

An Interview with SATR
Montana Cans
How has graffiti and graffiti-inspired mural art changed
from its beginnings in China till now?
SATR
This is a good question. I have discussed this with my
friend Kish (he is a senior graffiti writer in China), and we
both think that the change of graffiti is closely related to
the access of information. Before 2004, when the
internet was not verty widespread, writers would imitate
other graffiti artists, and some would spontaneously add
Chinese elements to their graffiti. Then during the period
of 2004-2008, when the internet became popular and
more accessible, China also had its own graffiti forums.
Before 2004, when the internet was
not verty widespread, writers would
imitate other graffiti artists, and
some would spontaneously add
Chinese elements to their graffiti.
Chinese graffiti was very diverse: some people stuck to
the old school style, some people painted Chinese-style
graffiti according to their own understanding. At that
time, because there was no systematic way to learn
graffiti, everyone’s style had a half-baked understanding
of graffiti culture, and incorporated a lot of their own
unique interpretations. Later, the graffiti competition
“Wall War” brought those foreign predecessors to China,
such as Cantwo and Zebster. They showed everyone the
necessity of having a solid foundation in the old school
style. So from 2010 onwards, it became a path of pursuing
the old school style. From 2011 to 2014, the trends in
China were painting large-scale and complete works.
2016 was also a new turning point, when everyone
started to use different social media platforms. The
graffiti festivals across the country began to explode,
and it became an era of many art festivals and graffiti
jams, until the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019.
MC
Is there an active illegal graffiti writing scene in China?
SATR
Yes, there is an active illegal graffiti writing scene in China.
There are many underground graffiti writers who
express themselves through this art form. For example
in my city there is the GB crew. They are a team of about
20-30 people who specialize in bombing and throw-ups,
active in the early morning streets of Guangzhou.
MC
What sort of consequences fall if writers get caught in
China?
There are many underground graffiti
writers who express themselves
through this art form. For example in
my city there is the GB crew.
← Up against the wall,
SATR transforms
mists of color into
blocks of color which
later reveal animal
forms. Like genies
coming out of their
bottles.
↓ With a keen sense
of form, SATR reaches
for her favorite
Montana BLACK and
GOLD cans to make
her murals possible.
56 Interview/Artist in focus Satr

A stunning contrast
to her traditional graffiti
practice, these felines
fade their way
into focus.
SATR
The consequences of getting caught doing graffiti in
China depend on the region and the situation. If it is in
big cities like Shanghai or Beijing, you might be taken to
the police station and questioned about why you are
painting there. You might also have to pay a fine, which
can range from a few hundred to a few thousand yuan.
But if it is in some smaller cities or towns, most people
don’t care much about graffiti. Even if you are seen by
the police or the property owner, they might just tell you
to stop and leave. There are usually no serious consequences
unless you are painting something that is
politically sensitive or offensive.
MC
Are there areas in China where it is easier or harder to
paint, and what is the difference?
If it is illegal graffiti, I think Beijing is
more difficult, because there are
cameras everywhere and it is easy to
be tracked down.
SATR
The difficulty of painting graffiti in China varies depending
on the location and the type of graffiti. If it is illegal
graffiti, I think Beijing is more difficult, because there are
cameras everywhere and it is easy to be tracked down.
But in cities like Chengdu or Nanning, people have a more
relaxed lifestyle and are more tolerant of graffiti. But if it
is mural painting, Shanghai would be a good choice.
Because Shanghai is a metropolis, mural or graffiti art is
more welcome there. Some of the large-scale graffiti
festivals in China are also held in Shanghai.
MC
Did you get support from your parents or family to paint
graffiti or become a muralist?
SATR
Yes, I have to say that my family gave me a lot of support,
especially my mother. She is also a painter, so she
understands what art can be like. She also has a tolerant
attitude towards my graffiti writing and mural painting.
She only reminds me to wear a gas mask to protect
myself from the spray paint dust every time I paint.
MC
What are some of the unique challenges specific to
China that graffiti artists from other countries may not
be aware of?
SATR
I think one of the unique challenges that graffiti artists
in China face is ‘’Chuangwei’’. Chuangwei is short for
Interview/Artist in focus Satr
57

creating sanitary cities, which is a national activity
aimed at improving urban environmental sanitation and
health levels of resisents. Chuangwei work requires
various aspects of the city to meet certain standards,
including the sanitation of public places and so on. This
means that graffiti is not allowed in many places, and
even regarded as an act of disrupting public order as
opposed to beautifying the environment. Many times,
you may spend a lot of time and energy to paint a piece,
but the next day it will be painted over by sanitation
workers. Obviously this is very frustrating and makes
graffiti artists feel helpless.
I think there are more challenges
for female artists or graffiti artist
then for male artists. Sometimes I
still encounter some stereotypical
comments, like “Oh, you are a girl?
I thought only boys would paint
like this.”
MC
Are there any more challenges for a female graffiti artist
or artist than for a male?
SATR
I think there are more challenges for female artists or
graffiti artist then for male artists. Sometimes I still
encounter some stereotypical comments, like “Oh, you
are a girl? I thought only boys would paint like this.” But
now there are also many female street artists who are
uniting to break this stereotype.
MC
Is there an unofficial graffiti hierarchy within the Chinese
scene? Does Chinese graffiti work off the traditional
New York graffiti model?
SATR
I don’t think there is a hierarchy system in the Chinese
graffiti scene, at least I haven’t seen one. If graffiti has
a hierarchy system, then he/she is not a graffiti
person. Graffiti is about freedom and expression, not
about ranking or competing. Everyone has their own
style and preference, and there is no right or wrong
way to do graffiti. Of course, some people might be
more skilled or experienced than others, but that
doesn’t mean they are superior or inferior. The Chinese
graffiti scene does not work off the traditional
New York graffiti model, because the cultural and
historical contexts are different.
→ It is all about perspectives.
From up
close we see wisping
color, from a far we
see a natural world
that is mystic and
magical.
58 Interview/Artist in focus Satr

MC
Do graffiti writers and mural artists work together or
cross over in China?
SATR
They do hang out together. As far as my friends are
concerned, we don’t have any barriers. I also have many
friends who do illegal graffiti. Whether we can get along
or not, I think the first thing is to see what your purpose
of doing graffiti is. If you are doing it for money and
betraying your artistic beliefs and soul, then I’m sorry,
neither graffiti writers nor mural artists will welcome
you. We respect each other’s choices and expressions,
as long as they are sincere and original.
MC
Did graffiti start during a particular time in China?
Looking up, the view
from below as SATR
breathes some life
into her artwork with
Montana GOLD.
When I first started playing in 2013,
the atmosphere was already very
good. In 2016, the graffiti scene
reached a peak. There were all kinds
of graffiti events and parties.
SATR
I can only speak from my own experience. I think I
started graffiti in the middle stage of its development in
China. When I first started playing in 2013, the atmosphere
was already very good. In 2016, the graffiti
scene reached a peak. There were all kinds of graffiti
events and parties. There were also foreign graffiti
artists who came to China to participate in international
graffiti exchange activities.
MC
Do up-and-coming graffiti writers and mural artists get
inspired by other Chinese artists, or is there a big
influence from outside?
SATR
I think both. If we only absorb our own internal culture, I
think it is disconnected from the essence of graffiti,
because graffiti did not originate in China. But graffiti
has good mobility and strong communication. These
days we can easily see a lot of great works on our
phones. So we are more or less influenced by the
outside world, although this influence is subtle and
gradual. Of course, we also get inspired by other
Chinese artists, especially those who have their own
unique style and expression. We learn from each other
and try to create something new and original.
Interview/Artist in focus Satr
59

Mural by SATR titled
“Whisper” in Mannheim,
Germany, Alsenweg 64
for STADT.WAND.KUNST
@stadtwandkunst
60 Interview/Artist in focus Satr

MC
Which foreign artists are commonly known in the
Chinese graffiti community or who has painted or
exhibited there?
SATR
There are many foreign artists who are well-known or
have painted or exhibited in China. Some of them are
Cantwo and Sofles, who are idols for most graffiti writers
because of their skills and styles. In recent years, some
foreign artists have also held exhibitions in Shanghai,
such as Nychos and Tristan Eaton. There are also other
foreign artists who have visited or collaborated with
Chinese graffiti artists, such as Futura, Cope2, Invader,
Vhils, and many more. China is becoming a more open
and attractive place for graffiti culture and exchange.
MC
Forgive me if this sounds uninformed, but are there any
elements of censorship or restriction from government
bodies in regard to graffiti writing?
SATR
No, it doesn’t sound uninformed. It’s a reasonable
question. If you are creating on the street, you probably
won’t have any problem. No one will care about your
creative theme, unless you criticize the government or
something like that. Then you might get in trouble. (I’ve
only heard about it). If you are invited by a Chinese
institution to participate in an art festival, then it
becomes a public art project. We also roughly know the
bottom line of the government agencies. Don’t touch
some topics like pornography, anti-government, death,
etc. Then your creation won’t be hindered. Because we
don’t want to involve the inviting party in these troublesome
things.
MC
What is the most difficult experience you have had
during your time as an artist?
SATR
The most difficult experience I have had as an artist was
painting a 17-story high wall in Russia. It was my first
time to challenge myself to paint on such a tall building.
At first, I felt like I messed up, and the weather was very
cold. We were always interrupted by the weather conditions.
But luckily, I pushed myself to the limit and finished
this task that seemed impossible to me at that time. It
was a very rewarding and memorable experience.
MC
What is the most memorable experience you have had
as an artist?
SATR
The most memorable experience I have had as an artist
was at the Peinture Fraîche Festival in France. When I
finished my work and signed my name, the audience
behind me spontaneously applauded. It didn’t matter if
they were children, drivers, or passers-by. They all
celebrated the completion of my work together. That
shocking scene is still hard for me to forget.
MC
Are there any artists who you are inspired by or aspire to
be like?
SATR
I have two favorite artists, one is Jaw.cooper, who is a
painter and illustrator who creates stunning and surreal
images of animals and nature. The other is Gian Galang,
who is an artist and illustrator who specializes in
images of martial arts and action sports. Their works
often make me feel amazed and have a special mood in
them. And they are always doing a lot of new experiments,
using different media and combining them with
their own works. This really impresses me a lot.
MC
If you had the choice of any place on earth to live and
paint, where would it be and why?
SATR
A few months ago, I would have chosen Los Angeles
because there were many graffiti artists I knew there,
and I had never been there before. I would have loved to
stay for a while to experience the culture and vibe.
However, after extensively traveling in Europe, I can now
confidently say that France, Paris, or any other city in
the country would be my definitive choice for a more
permanent residence. The friendliness and open-mindedness
of the people there leave a lasting impression.
Every time I painted in France, I received a warm welcome
that filled my heart. Moreover, I have made great
friends with artists in France, so whenever I’m there, it
feels like my second home.
It is fair to say that SATR exceeds the expectations of a classic graffiti writing career. With
a style that is as unique as it is informed, it is refreshing to hear how grounded and considered
her practice is. If having your heart in the right place is anything to go by, we can only
assume that SATR will go a long way. Something that the audience, the creative world, and
the natural world can benefit from.
Interview/Artist in focus Satr
61

The Words of
the BeAst
Pablo Allison is a British/Mexican artist that has managed
to take many of his interests in his art-making practice to
a new level. A level that not only requires great effort to
live like his subject matter but also an experience that
requires the taking of immense risks to avoid the ending
of his life and incarceration. Bringing with it a new understanding
for the outsider, and on a creative level for the
universal viewer.
Location
Mexico
Profile
@pablondon2
Photography
Pablo Allison
↓ Waiting for the train,
but not one you can sit
inside.
62 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

An ongoing project by Pablo Allison
In one of his projects called “The Words of the
Beast“, the artist focuses on three elements that
have at some point all entered a crossroads and
merged into one communal direction. Those three
elements are graffiti, migration, and photography.
Based on the experience had by migrants traveling from
Central America, through Mexico, and into the USA and
Canada as their final destination, Allison’s creative
journey started in 2018 with his own personal experiences
of freight train hopping. Experiences that soon
brought him into the thick of the migrant trail which
leads most migrants to the USA where they all expected
to find peace, safety, and a better standard of living.
→ Migrantes Valientes
(Brave Migrants).
Allison's nod of solidarity
to his immigrant
colleagues.
↙ “RESIST” just one
example of using
empowering words in
his artwork.
The clock hands have turned around countless
times since his preoccupation with migration
began. As too has his use of the spray can as a tool to
write the words that express the feelings lived by illegal
immigrants on a daily basis. Strong words that impregnate
his pictorial space like Migrantes Valientes (Brave
Migrants), Compassion, Fear, Exile, Guilty, Power,
Difference, and Unite to name a few. Words that with the
support of Montana GOLD and BLACK cans have
brought graffiti style writing to a new compassionate
home. Due to the multifaceted levels of Pablo Allison’s
work, we figured it was only right to speak to the artist
himself regarding his own experiences and how he
transforms them into the artwork he makes. Focusing
on Graffiti on one hand, and Photography on the other,
this is what Allison had to say.
An interview with Pablo Allison
By documenting this experience Allison has
been at the coal face of the migrant journey. The
common thread for all was escaping extreme violence
and poverty. The glue holding this experience together
for Allison was the camera and carefully chosen words
that he painted in the universal language of Graffiti.
The glue holding this experience
together for Allison was the camera
and carefully chosen words that he
painted in the universal language of
Graffiti.
Allison’s choices to ride these freight trains that transport
goods from Mexico to USA and Canada, also
known as “The Beast”, put him in some extremely
dubious situations. Situations that he realized were
faced by these nomadic passengers every day. Situations
like being robbed at gunpoint, being intercepted
by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers
(ICE), and being detained for over a month. Experiences
that enabled him to further his documentation of the
obstacles and hardships faced by migrants as they
attempted to make their way to so-called freedom.
Montana Cans
Your work today has such a strong connection to
migration that we know little about you as a graffiti
artist. What came first, graffiti or photography?
Pablo Allison
Both came at the same time though before I started to
paint graffiti, I was documenting whatever graffiti-wise
existed in the streets of Mexico City around 1995/1996.
Making a parallel of how important photography has
been to graffiti, I think we are more than aware of the
significance of a camera in the graffiti culture. Without
photography we would not have any documentation of
this art form. Books like Subway Art and Spray Can Art
play a quintessential role to this worldwide art form.
Graffiti and photography have been my passports into
worlds I perhaps would have found difficult to penetrate
otherwise.
MC
Where and how did you start your graffiti practice?
PA
I started to notice graffiti in Mexico City around 1995-
1996. I did my first tag in 1996 without knowing that this
was a culture that started in New York City. I had no idea
that it was illegal to paint with spray-paint on the
streets. A friend told me one day that I could get arrested
Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison
63

From tag to piece, the
Migrantes Valientes
(Brave Migrants)
message increases
its significance.
MC
When you started graffiti, did you come up in the usual
graffiti contexts of getting a tag, doing throw-ups and
pieces, and then trying to improve and perfect your
craft on walls or trains? Or did your focus on migration
take hold of you from the beginning?
for it. Mexico City was practically clean back then and
very few marks on the walls could be seen, though
graffiti actually first arrived via Los Angeles, California
(in my knowledge) around 1990-1991 in impoverished
areas outside of Mexico City such as Ciudad Netzahualcoyotl.
That place was quickly renamed in the graffiti
scene as Neza York for the large amounts of graffiti you
could find there. I would make expeditions from the
other extreme of the city at the age of 14 to document
what I could find. I would then develop the films and
copy the tags and throw ups and few pieces on paper.
It’s important to highlight that no internet existed at the
time so hardly any information would flow as it does
today. It was very hard to find graffiti in the city and
every time something appeared before my eyes, I would
snap it and cherish it like a gem. The way I lived graffiti
in the 90’s like many others belonging to that generation
and before that was that graffiti was kind of a secret and
to find out anything about it was not easy at all.
MC
In your formative years, was there a graffiti mentor or
leader working at a level that you were inspired by and
aiming to reach?
PA
During the first years of discovering graffiti, I did not
really have a specific graffiti inspiration except magazines
that I would collect. I tried to collect every single
graffiti magazine that came out like Fat cap, While you
Were Sleeping, 12 Oz Prophet from the USA, Back
Jumps, On the Run and Backspin from Germany or
Xplicit Graffix and Molotow Coctail from France etc…
but my real buzz came when I could get my hands on
Graphotism from the UK due to my connection with that
country.
In the year 2000 I met Ekla, a Parisian graffiti
writer who had migrated to Mexico to live and paint. He
was the one who really had an impact on my interest in
graffiti and taught me the basics and more on how to
paint metros etc.
PA
I started in the same traditional way as most do; initially
by defining my name after attempting other names.
Then throw ups, pieces etc. Most of the names I previously
used were connected to black metal bands since I
was heavily interested in that music genre. My first
names were Rocker, Venom, Burzum and Mayhem.
Once I was able to feel comfortable with the name I still
use today, later on I discovered where freight trains
were parked and used to watch people travel on them. I
had no clue that they were migrants coming from
Central America. This is going back to 1999 when I first
encountered migrants on the trains. My graffiti partner
and friend who still goes by the tag of Meek would throw
rocks at them as he explained that they were enemies.
During the first years of discovering
graffiti, I did not really have a specific
graffiti inspiration except
magazines that I would collect.
Meek was associated to a Mexican gang from
the USA called Sureños 13 and was all about protecting
his barrio. I had nothing to do with that culture and since
I came from a different social background and environment,
I had not been exposed to this violence that
prevailed in that area of Mexico.
Although my vision in graffiti was always kept
to aesthetics, I often remember writing messages
against the war that took place in Iraq in 2003 onwards,
pieces in support of rebel movements like the EZLN
which protects the rights and autonomy of indigenous
communities in the south of Mexico (mainly in the state
of Chiapas) or of the students movement in Mexico City
who were fighting to protect the autonomy and free
education for all.
MC
Are any of those former graffiti pursuits relevant to your
graffiti practice today?
PA
Indeed. I actually defined them and split them into two
now. I love painting graffiti for aesthetic reasons and a
little bit of an ego burst feels good every now and again.
64 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

→ For many, Pablo
Allison’s photographs
are their first contact
with a completely different
reality.
↓ Regardless of where
he went, Allison
found graffiti in all its
forms.
Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison 65

The divide. On one
side supposed freedom,
on the other a
life to leave behind.
66 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison
67

↑ “COMPASION”. Reminding
us to be
compassionate.
↓ A postcard for
home. For most, an
image of a place they
would rather not be at.
That said, I do like to try and stay away from that
sometimes as it can become quite toxic and destructive.
The whole aspect of today’s concept on words I
paint stems from my incarceration in prison in the UK in
2012. I was sentenced to 19 months in prison of which I
spent a third of that time behind bars. It was during that
time that I managed to read and learn a lot about
freedom and decided to redirect some of my interests
into wanting to convey a message that went beyond
writing for a graffiti scene.
MC
During your experiences and the capturing of the
photos in your projects like the “Artists in violent
contexts” button on your website, was meeting up with
other writers the same as connecting in any other
country? Or is there a whole different procedure when
in a violent city?
I was sentenced to 19 months in
prison of which I spent a third of
that time behind bars.
PA
It was just like meeting graffiti writers that I would have
the opportunity to meet in less violent countries. In fact,
graffiti was the opening door. Had I introduced myself
as a journalist or a photographer, I reckon I would not
have been able to approach the people in the same way.
As a matter of fact, I was recently in Iraq to expand on
this particular project you refer to and wanted to
interview urban artists. Introducing myself as a graffiti
writer as opposed to a documentary photographer
helped with the access and trust 100 percent, I think.
68 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

MC
Are you received as an insider or outsider when doing
graffiti in the migrant context?
PA
I would say that I am seen a little bit in between by
others. It has been incredible to detach from the
individualistic promotion of a name. It goes through
stages with deciding on either to paint my name or a
socially driven idea. For instance, when a Migrantes
Valientes pieces is made, I really like and appreciate if
someone wants to join forces on the phrase. Having
said that, it also helps me to challenge my styles and
practice over word combinations and keep it flowing
and moving along the way.
So much empathy and support has
been shown in countries in Europe
towards this subject matter.
MC
How does it feel for you when you are then doing pieces
or murals in other (non-violent) countries with the
migrant theme? Do you feel as if your voice is being
heard or is it falling on deaf ears when everyone else is
more or less safe, healthy, and wealthy?
↑ When more is more.
Alison creates a visual
space that is flooded
with messages
by way of letters, color,
and illustration.
PA
I definitely feel it gets heard actually. So much empathy
and support has been shown in countries in Europe
towards this subject matter. All the walls I have painted
and the people I have had the great opportunity to
collaborate with has been something I never though
was possible or that I even planned in the first place.
Seemingly, even graffiti writers I have a lot of respect for
have been very keen on this idea of words that mean
something in a social context. I obviously did not invent
this social aspect of graffiti as other extremely talented
graffiti writers / artists such as Lee and Revs just to
name two, have inspired me an awful lot.
We had been travelling for many
weeks and all the migrants (men,
women, and kids predominantly)
were exhausted. We had been
scared off a few times by alleged
criminals along the way.
↑“THE BEAST”. A little
less confronting as
a mode of transport
when it’s embellished
with graffiti.
← “PEACE”. The corner
stone of every immigrants
drive to leave
their home.
I had never planned to paint phrases like
Migrantes Valientes in the first place. This came
spontaneously whilst travelling with a very large group
of migrants( approx.. 700 people) on a train within the
state of Sinaloa. I jumped off the freight train and the
first thing that came to mind was the message in
support of migrants and from there on it resonated with
people.
MC
What is the most moving experience you have had while
painting graffiti and where was it?
PA
I have had a few luckily but I think the most moving one
of all was when I painted the name Arriba los Migrantes
Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison
69

← Hopelessness and
prayers for rain.
↓ The raised perspective
of an immigrant
on top of a freight
train.
70 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

← “VALIENTES” (brave).
In Pablo Allison's
eyes, bravery is an essential
part of the
imigrant makeup.
MC
How did you and other writers get access to cans in
violent or civil unrest-affected areas?
on the side of the freight in Culiacan, Sinaloa. We had
been travelling for many weeks and all the migrants
(men, women, and kids predominantly) were exhausted.
We had been scared off a few times by alleged criminals
along the way. In Irapuato we had been warned that a
group of Narcos were positioned ready to shoot at the
train we were travelling on and in Culiacan, Sinaloa
apparently some criminals were also plotting to hurt the
people. The quick panel was made with the help of a few
migrants and people were very happy. They shouted
and supported it. The painted train was the one we kept
riding for another stint of the journey until we reached
the next stop.
PA
I think that the graffiti culture is so developed today that
small companies create their own cans for the same
graffiti community. In Jordan and Iraq, I mainly painted
with crappy cans but some good paint is available at
quite inaccessible prices. The Middle East region is a
very interesting one for history but also for graffiti. I
think that hardly any western graffiti has reached it yet.
I certainly did not see any known writers in Iraq and the
few things I did see were made by local artists with
slightly naive techniques which I sort took an affinity to.
I am sure some graffiti writers have visited Iraq and
dropped something but I did not see anything really.
MC
Do they choose cans and caps with a similar mindset to
other more graffiti-friendly countries?
MC
Is there somewhere or something on your graffiti wish
list that you have not yet painted and want to? And if you
could, what would you paint on it?
I certainly did not see any known
writers in Iraq and the few things I
did see were made by local artists
with slightly naive techniques
which I sort took an affinity to.
PA
I don’t really have any specific spots in mind that I can
think of right away but I would love to paint a large wall
in Baghdad such as the ones I have been painting in
recent years. I feel that city needs some color added
and given its history I would love to plaster some ideas
of inspiration to people in general alongside other
artists from Baghdad. However, I feel that there are a lot
of constraints and barriers that need to be jumped and
bureaucracy is a hard one to tackle there. The political
atmosphere is tense and I don’t know how easily it
would be to crack something in the shape of a largescale
wall with the appropriate support needed to not
get in trouble and face some harsh legal situation.
↑ “MIGRANTES VA-
LIENTES” (Brave Migrants).
This time
adorning the glass
panes of a trackside
sound barrier.
→ Allison’s work is
playful and nonaggressive
making it
seem right at home
on this shop window.
Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison
71

“ARRIBA LOS MIG-
RANTES” (Up the
Migrants). A roof over
your head means different
things in different
contexts.
72 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison
73

← Scenes from forgotten
places. Pablo Allison
brings us images
from places most of us
are unlikely to ever visit.
PA
I believe so, for instance in Central America, particularly
in places like Nicaragua and Honduras in my experience
there was some access to better quality paint and cans
but expensive of course. El Salvador has a much more
developed scene and cans are relatively easier to get.
Same applies for Mexico where a huge industry has
been developed for all the graffiti needs. There are,
however, very violent cities in Mexico like Nuevo Laredo,
Reynosa or Ciudad Victoria, to name a few where I
would dare to say that no graffiti exists, therefor, the
access to tools is much harder.
MC
What kind of response or civil intervention do you get
from people or the locals that are non-fleeing illegal
migrants when you paint walls or freights with these
messages in poor and violent areas?
PA
The reaction from a non-graffiti audience has gone
beyond my expectations. People are more aware of
graffiti as an agent for change. The general public has
slightly shifted its perception on this art form, whether
that be a good or a bad thing I don’t know. I do feel
however that people still have a very biased opinion on
what they approve and what they don’t approve of,
which is fine by me. That said, I do wish for people to
read simple words and feel connected or show some
sort of empathy regarding matters that mean something
to us all.
In Jordan and Iraq, I mainly painted
with crappy cans but some good
paint is available at quite inaccessible
prices. The Middle East region
is a very interesting one for history
but also for graffiti.
MC
What is your favourite Montana Can and cap combination
and why?
PA
Montana BLACK as it’s the one that stands out the most.
74 Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison

In a world being separated ever more every day by the
notion of the haves and the have not’s, artists like Pablo
Allison play a strong role in the shaping of social
opinions regarding the topic of migration. With one
The reaction from a non-graffiti
audience has gone beyond my
expectations. People are more
aware of graffiti as an agent for
change. The general public has
slightly shifted its perception on
this art form, whether that be a
good or a bad thing I don’t know.
hand on the nozzle of a spray can and the other on the
trigger of his camera, Allison’s work is bound to have
more social relevance as the knowledge of its existence
grows. We look forward to seeing which countries it
takes him to next and pray that he always manages to
return home safely.
↓ Man and nature. In
Mexico the two merge
in a unique way in
the absence of abundance.
↗ “DEMOCRACY”. Depicted
in a light here
that is probably closest
to its actual
state of reality.
→ Allison showing he
definitely comes from
a graffiti background
where hand style still
has its place.
Artist in focus/Interview Pablo Allison
75

The inaugural
Pfffestival
2022
Location
Stuttgart joins
the mural route
Profile
@pfffestival
Stuttgart, Germany
Photography
Thommy West
The German landscape has changed in recent years, just as it always
does. One of these changes being undertaken by many cities is the initiative
of mural festivals. the art of creating large format murals that take a
semi-permanent place in the DNA of a city.
↓ Downtown Stuttgart
getting all PFFF’d up.
76 Recap Pfffestival

A
movement, that not only brings color and
life to a place, but as seen in cities such as
Heidelberg, Mannheim and Berlin, bring
with it a positive outcome for the residents,
value adding for visitors, and a space for cultural
development for the artistic communities wherever
these festivals take place. And now it's time for Stuttgart
to get amongst it.
↑ Base coats getting
rolled up. The mystery
of the mural begins
here.
→ BEZT currently
lives and works in his
hometown of Turek,
Poland.
In September 2022, the Pfffestival
celebrated its inauguration in the
creation of 5 large scale murals, an
exhibition based around the festival's
achievements, and a printed
publication of the event.
→ Passers-by wonder
what will become of
the space in front of
them. With a little
patience, they will
soon find out.
Recap Pfffestival
77

78 Recap Pfffestival
Bezt (Etam), renowned
globally, has a
piece in Stuttgart.
His calming still life at
the bustling Neckarstraße
127 lies
between Stöckach &
Neckartor stations.

The DNA of the city
In September 2022, the Pfffestival celebrated its inauguration
in the creation of 5 large scale murals, an
exhibition based around the festival's achievements,
and a printed publication of the event. Curated by
Studio Vierkant, the Pfffestival in partnership with Kulturamt
Stadt Stuttgart, the Baden-Württemberg
Stiftung, the Kunstverein Wagenhalle and Montana
Cans, the festival aims to create an annual festival over
the next 3 years and beyond.
For this the initial year of the event,
the torch to be the first was given to
a broad spectrum of local and
international artists which consisted
of Rafael Gerlach (München),
Roids (London), Inga Krause (Bremen),
Bezt (Lodz) und Marvin
Daumüller (Stuttgart).
↑ Not a tone or color
missing, the Montana
GOLD and BLACK
lines have it covered.
→ Coverage garaunteed,
this wall soon
transforms from gray
to vivid as the
PFFFestival rolls on.
↓ SATONE transformed
the Hedwig
Dohm School's
facade in Stuttgart
→ German artist
Rafael Gerlach aka
SATONE
Recap Pfffestival
79

← The unique vibe of
the Stuttgart
cityscape. Enough to
keep the locals
looking upward.
↑ Wedged between
↑ two buildings, tyhe
sun still reaches this
ROIDS mural in the
making.
↑ Tools of the trade,
ready to be raised to
where the action is at.
Eye catching urban art in large format
For this the initial year of the event, the torch to be the
first was given to a broad spectrum of local and international
artists which consisted of Rafael Gerlach
(München), Roids (London), Inga Krause (Bremen), Bezt
(Lodz) und Marvin Daumüller (Stuttgart).
A city known for its ingenuity, innovation
and celebration of the arts, it
seemed only natural that it too spotlighted
art on large scales for its
citizens and visitors to enjoy.
↑ A creative interchange.
Creators exchange
ideas under the
lumination of the
artwork.
80 Recap Pfffestival

← A long way from
finished but not too
big a job for the
English artist.
↓ Just in time for a
quick pic of the team
that made it happen.
↑ Rounded off with
black trimmings, this
innovative mural
shines from all
perspectives.
Recap Pfffestival
81

Inga Krause's mural is
located at Hegelstraße
47, right next to the
Russische Kirche
subway stop.
82 Recap Pfffestival

← Don’t forget to make
history before you go.
This untouchable
sign-off is multiple
stories above the
ground.
↑ Another quick smile
before it’s time to get
back to business.
Born in 1989, Inga Krause, currently residing in Bremen,
is an alumnus of illustration studies from Münster
(MSD) and Hamburg (HAW). Her 2021 master's thesis,
PETRICHOR, features city phenomena through a blend
of analogue and digital collages. Krause's portfolio also
includes large-scale paintings and vibrant clay figures.
Distinguished by broad forms and radiant colors, her
style is a fusion of figurative and abstract elements. Her
art exhibits graphic precision disrupted by spontaneous
brushwork, analogue textures, and asymmetric forms.
Her friend and artistic aide, Marina Friedrich, assisted in
executing her façade.
↑ All Colors Are
Beautiful, but not all
colors come out of
spray cans.
Recap Pfffestival
83

Stuttgart artist Marvin
Daumüller created
two bridge pillars of
the Nesenbachtalbrücke
as part of the
PFFFestival. The
figurative paintings
are located at
Böblingerstraße 253,
near the Heslach
Vogelrain subway
stop.
84 Recap Pfffestival

Recap Pfffestival
85

Born in 1997 in Tübingen, Marvin Daumüller studies at
the Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. Introduced to
graffiti at twelve, its influence shaped his transition to
figurative painting. He is passionate about urban space
interventions, his main medium. His surrealist paintings,
centering on humans in a global community,
metaphorically explore social structures and the human
condition shaped by collective memory.
→ A courageous
challenge as the
bridge pillars are
seen from another
angle.
↑ Stuttgart artist
Marvin Daumüller for
Pfffestival
← Large brush
strokes make for
smooth transitions
when seen from a
distance.
↓ The journey to the
finished product can
often be a long road.
But one that is worth
the effort.
86 Recap Pfffestival

← Showing that what
is not covered can
often be as valuable
as that, what is.
↑ Linz artist Julia
Heinisch painted the
wall of the new
Kunstverein
Wagenhalle building
with a figurative
piece.
We look forward to what 2023 holds
install for the second annual Pfffestival.
↑ A beautiful
combination of the
artists hand, acrylic
paint, raw brick, and
Montana GOLD.
Recap Pfffestival
87

Equally as impressive
indoors as it is
outdoors. The
PFFFestival exhibits
its results in all its
glory.
88 Recap Pfffestival

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89

90 Recap Pfffestival

↑ This time not under
the influence of
mother nature, the
PFFFestival
exhibitions sheds new
light on artworks.
As part of the annual PFFFESTIVAL, an affiliated
exhibition at the Kunstverein-Wagenhalle venue is
always a must-see. This show aims to spotlight the
studio works of participating artists, as well as featuring
creators rooted in graffiti or urban art, including
those with relevant post-graffiti standpoints.
The 2022 group exhibition “PFFF — 2022”
opened its doors on Saturday, October 8th. Under the
theme “Urban Art in Stuttgart,” Kunstverein-Wagenhalle’s
project space hosts this annual group show.
↑ Too good to not get
a snapshot of. This
viewer takes home a
reminder of the show.
↓ Size matters
indoors and outdoors.
Especially when in the
comfort of four walls
and a roof.
A mesmerizing blend of styles and
approaches, PFFFESTIVAL exhibitions
continue to illuminate the dynamism
of today’s urban art scene.
Recap Pfffestival
91

The 2022 line-up comprised Bezt, Rafael Gerlach,
Roids, Moritz Junkermann, Lutger Lonin, Marvin
Daumüller, Theresa Volpp, Michel T. Balke, and Inga
Krause. A mesmerizing blend of styles and approaches,
PFFFESTIVAL exhibitions continue to illuminate the
dynamism of today’s urban art scene.
← A unique space for
exhibiting art.
Through the veins of
the building, the
digitally interactive
comes to life.
↑ Nothing that a good
coffee or a drink can’t
fix.
↓ For those unable to
walk the path of
PFFFestival, the
murals were
represented on a
smaller yet equally as
grand scale.
92 Recap Pfffestival

↑ Another one for
the collection. A
documentation of
Stuttgart creative
history.
← The PFFF Journal is
the printed publication
documenting the
inaugural festival.
↓ For enjoyment and
contemplation even
beyond the digital
realms.
Recap Pfffestival
93

Travel
RepoRtLocation
Various
Photography
IXAP, ILT
I packed my suitcase. Together with IBES from the NICE
Crew, a 30-year-old Mercedes Benz, and 60 cans of Montana
Black, we also brought with us plenty of motivation
and a good mood. That should be enough for a good road
trip I thought, and I can tell you in advance that it was.
94 Street Report Trainspecial

Belgrade
Germany to Turkey. It was a damn long way to travel by car. We alternated
between who slept and who drove, so after 24 hours on the road our old car
was able to take its first breather in Belgrade. In a sight that we were not
used to, the fresh RVR trains were relatively clean and in many cases appeared
to have been given a fresh coat of paint. Only a few pieces adorned
the wagons. We approached the matter relatively unspectacularly since a
normally good spot was not doable at all due to construction work, and so
we simply went to the yard. Unfortunately, there was still a lot of activity there
when we arrived and we didn't want to wait, so we decided to paint quick
pieces for which we were rewarded the next day with nice photos and a quick
departure for our next destination.
Sofia
The next stop was in Sofia. During our pre-trip research, on Google Maps,
we saw a metro layed up at a siding. We figured that seeing as we were there
already anyway, we may as well take a quick look and see if we could get
lucky. Nothing! Unfortunately, this was not going to happen.
When we arrived at the Turkish border in the evening, the flawless customs
officer saw the heap of spray cans in our car and didn’t want to let us cross
the border. But of course, he gave us the option to give him the cans and then
pass freely over the border without them. No way! We turned back swearing
and cursing and decided to try for a second attempt. This time we hid the cans
under all our clothes and we got away with it.
Street Report Trainspecial
95

Istanbul
The last hours to Istanbul flew by. SOKOE who had already arrived by plane
was awaiting us at our accommodation. In Istanbul, our total success statistics
were 3 trains. 2 of them were wild metro train actions with rope ladders
and dodging several security guards, and last but not least was an awsome
silver Marmaray train, which runs from the European side of Turkey towards
the Asian side. Marmaray was thanks to the help of RUKUS and HARAM
from the OHB crew.
96 Street Report Trainspecial

Street Report Trainspecial
97

98 Street Report Trainspecial

Bursa
With a good tailwind, we drove to Bursa, a comparatively shabby light rail
system but with a special feature that was alluring to us. The old Rotterdam
metro trains, however, with a new facelift in bright green for the Turkish
system. Here we booked a deluxe hotel near the yard to ensure that we would
be lucky. There was no security present and the Rotterdam model stood
perfectly! Once again we were able to get first-rate photos the next day and
then continue to Izmir which was our last stop.
Street Report Trainspecial
99

Izmir
Less than 2 hours in the city and we already stood alongside their metro trains
with our paint and cameras and we were able to get great pictures after the
action. Nobody came and everything went smoothly. Surprised by the good
yield of the previous few days, we tried for another one. This was to be our
last action on our last night. Which, unlike the evening before, was not successful.
Oh well. We had already pressed the caps of our cans enough
and were able to return to Germany free with a feeling of fulfillment.
100 Street Report Trainspecial

Street Report Trainspecial
101

MONTaNa
COlOr
SwaTcheS
fOr PrO
create
Location
Sweden/Germany
Profile
@montanacans
@fjaka.studio
Website
www.montana-cans.com/procreate
102 Montana Color Swatches for Procreate

The collaboration with the Swedish design studio
fjaka is an exciting opportunity for Montana Cans to
expand our reach and provide artists with a new
way to access our high-quality spray paint colors
and effects. With Procreate’s popularity among
digital artists, we saw an opportunity to provide a
convenient way for artists to incorporate our colors
and effects into their digital artwork.
← User friendly for
those who know, and
those who know a little
less when it comes
to digital creation.
↓ Flairs, fades, or precision.
The Level Cap
system is at a hand's
reach digitally also.
Download here →
Our Montana GOLD and Montana BLACK
colors are known for their high pigmentation
and quality, and we wanted to make these
colors easily accessible to digital artists as
well. The digital color swatches for Procreate accurately
represent the colors of our spray paint, allowing
artists to use the same colors in their digital work as
they would with our physical spray paint.
These brushes mimic the effects of Montana
Level Caps 1 to 6, giving artists the
ability to create a range of spray paint
effects digitally.
Montana Color Swatches for Procreate
103

← The digital marker
sizes, just like the
Montana ACRYLIC
markers on your
tablet.
↓ Ready for the human
touch.
In addition to the digital color swatches, we
also created brushes that imitate the effects of different
spray paint nozzle sizes. These brushes mimic the
effects of Montana Level Caps 1 to 6, giving artists the
ability to create a range of spray paint effects digitally.
↓ With easy to use
tools that will take
your artwork to the
next level.
104 Montana Color Swatches for Procreate

Overall, this collaboration with Fjaka and
Procreate represents Montana Cans’ commitment to
providing high-quality spray paint products to artists in
new and innovative ways. We are thrilled to see the
creativity that artists will unleash with our colors and
effects in the digital realm.
Download the ready-made procreate files for
swatches and brushes here:
montana-cans.com/procreate
↑ From the screen to
the streets. Or is that
from the streets to
the screen?
← As used by HOM-
BRE SUK.
You’re done
good luck!
Montana Color Swatches for Procreate
105

HAFEN-
DAMPF
Essen
2022
Profile
@hafendampf_essen
Location
Essen, Germany
Photography
Hafendampf
10 years
of steam
↑ All eyes are on you.
For this wall, it’s hard
to know who is looking
at who. The viewer or
the artwork?
The Hafendampf Jam in Essen Germany has been making people happy for 10 years now.
2022 which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the event at Langenberger Strasse
Essen was no exception. In fact, it was double the fun as a second day was also added to
quickly get some of that style and dynamic Montana GOLD and BLACK color on the
newly renovated sections of the A44 motorway retainer wall.
106 Recap Hafendampf

Steaming up the place with style
Countless talented artists came from far and wide to
rock the spot and keep the tradition of the steaming harbor
alive. Names like Nomad, Amit, Fnack, Semor, Pout,
and Most, among many others all came down to get down.
Styles for miles, or at least as long as the wall space
allowed as roads were laid dormant and passers-by were
forced to take a look at the burners being created before
them. Even though the temperatures supplied by
mother nature may not have been so accommodating.
↗ MOST letting us
know that he still has
the graffiti steering
wheel firmly in his
grasp.
→ Two is company,
three is a crowd. Four
characters if you
count the magician
featured in the center.
↓ Up and down, up and
down. Walls this high
make painting a piece
like doing exercise.
Recap Hafendampf
107

↑ With a different perspective,
this production
has nearly come
to its end. But first a
quick pic for the paparazzi.
↑ Stop, look, and lis-
↑ ten. With the road
partially closed, the locals
had all the time in
the world to watch the
productions unfold.
108 Recap Hafendampf

1
2 3
1 A bit of everything
with that special intergalactic
flavor.
2 Layer upon layer,
this piece explores
the many levels of
graffiti while sticking
to some of the traditional
elements.
3 If all good things
come in small packages,
then why
does SEMOR have
good things both big
and small?
4 Aaa ha. So that’s
how he does it. An insight
into how a
MOST piece comes
together.
4 5 6
7
8
5 “Everybody’s got
their own arrow”.
Some like to make it a
feature though.
6 Taking the danger
level up a notch, it is
not often you encounter
wildlife at the wall.
7 A fine example of
how at HAFENDAMPF
there is always a lot
going on visually.
8 A small departure
from the solid colors
and opaque styles of
the day, proving fades
still got it going on too.
Recap Hafendampf
109

4
1
5
6
4 Merging classic elements
with contemporary
funk. Graffiti never
sleeps.
5 Two burners and a
character in the middle.
A formula that never
gets old.
2
6 Far from scary, this
DEMON is easy on
the eye.
1 FNACK keeping it horizontally
on track
with his edgy signature
style.
2 Rules are meant to
be broken. 3D’s going
up, down and around
to the side just to
keep us guessing.
3
3 Another take on the
collaborative green/
orange/purple colorway.
Always keeping
it fresh.
110 Recap Hafendampf

↑ When you can’t see
the trees for the forest.
Camouflaged in color
is never a bad thing.
↓ Cars, skeletons, and
monsters. What do
they all have in common?
Graffiti!
Keeping it warm in the cold
Never a dull moment, Essen knows what’s up when it
comes to color, style and graffiti development. That
was HAFENDAMPF 2022, may there be many more for
years to come.
→ There vis no instruction
manual for
this one. Taking “what
was” and creating a
new “what is”.
Recap Hafendampf
111

Max
Solca
Wall Update by Swedish graffiti artist
Profile
@maxsolca
Location
Malmö, Sweden
Photography
Max Solca
112 Artist in focus/Interview Max solca

Some may think that graffiti writing and all its unwritten rules should be intertwined into
a visual code that can only be understood, read, and appreciated by the initiated. Like
those who well and truly know their way around a Montana GOLD or a Montana BLACK
can and can tell the difference between a New York Fat Cap and a Level 6 cap. By the
streets, for the streets… And then there is Max Solca, an innovative Swedish artist that
has a humorous way of combining fresh graffiti, with illustration, clarity, and quirky
messages for the graffiti writer and the general public all at once. And as for the unwritten
rules, he doesn’t play by those either.
→ Solca telling us that
the message has
been the same since
the beginning of mankind.
Graffiti for everyone
For quite a while we have had our eyes on Solca as his
artworks impressed us, made us smirk, or even
outright laugh at their clever motifs. Even though at
times it is very funny, his work is well-executed and
always seems to maintain a healthy dose of graffiti
letter style and innovation. Innovations like the use of
the phrase “Stay focused” while the piece itself has
been painted in a manner that starts in focus, and ends
out of focus. Or the black and chrome freight train
design that said “Move your ass”. A design that was
complimented by the inclusion of an illustrative naked
human rear end at each side that holds the letters
together as book ends do.
↓ For big kids and little
ones. Max Solca
speaks everyone's visual
language and
particularly his own.
More than just one word at a time
You will never find the name Max Solca in one of his
works. For Solca, just like well-branded footwear, it is
the visual elements or the integrated phrase that will
give him away and remind you of the last time you
smiled to yourself at one of his previous pieces. With
this turning on its head of the traditional style writing
rule to create a name, write it, and then repeat, Solca
opens the doors to an audience well beyond the graffiti
community. Most of his works are legible to any untrained
eye, so it is not just the graffiti, street art, or
urban art communities he is engaging with, it’s everyone!
From the most innocent grandmother, a graffiti
writer, or the most devilishly cheeky 3-year-old who also
can’t help but laugh at the site of a cartoon cat sticking
the middle finger up at the viewer while taking a pee.
Artist in focus/Interview Max solca
113

A reference to jurassic
times, a symbol
of authority, or are
dinosaurs, spray
cans, and walls just
a cool assortment
of motifs? Solca
keeps us guessing.
114 Artist in focus/Interview Max solca

Mostly the idea comes first, then how to do it as clearly as possible. Some paintings
don’t need a phrase and some paintings don’t need an image. It’s always fun when the
receiver can understand without being too obvious.
Artist in focus/Interview Max solca
115

Turning tradition on its head
Where does he come up with this stuff? And what lit the
fire to take his graffiti down this path? It got us curious
and thinking. Only the man himself could answer these
questions so we decided to ask and see where it takes
us. Here is what he had to say.
→ “Shit Happens”. It
sure does, whichever
way up you experience
it.
An interview with Max Solca
Montana Cans
For those of us who did not know of Max Solca before
seeing your works on the Montana Cans Blog, in what
style did your graffiti start?
Max Solca
It started when I was small, like most kids exploring
graffiti for the first time. My friends and I painted along
the subway line in Stockholm in the late 90s. There were
endless possibilities if you wanted to be seen.
MC
Was it always in a similar vein?
MS
Yeah, my technique got better and the objects got
riskier but I kept my interest in the subways in Stockholm.
MC
How did it get to the way it is now?
MS
I felt a bit done after 10 years and at the same time I
discovered comics. I realized that a painting could
communicate so much more, so I applied to a Comic
School and moved to Malmö. I studied there for 2 years
and after that, 2 more years in a Graphic course. During
that time I developed my expression with spray cans by
doing characters with quotes and paintings with
biographic content, and ”killed my darlings” to express
it as simply and specifically as possible.
MC
You are from Malmö Sweden, a city (and country) with
lots of talented graffiti style writers. How is your work
received among your peers? And how much consideration
do you give the opinions of others?
MS
I am very aware of my place in the Graff scene here in
Malmö. I know almost everyone and because of my
different appearance, I don’t think I’m in anybody’s way.
I see the great tradition of graffiti and I love it. The illegal
climate here is relatively relaxed and you can talk your
way out of trouble if you’re in the mood.
MC
If we consider some of the unwritten rules of graffiti,
like basing your work on the tag, not going over some
116 Artist in focus/Interview Max solca

→ Every graffiti writer
knows this feeling.
That moment of guilt
when an insect is accidentally
trapped in
your paint stroke.
← We can only assume
that Solca has
been to a rave or two
in his time with this
visual nod to Techno
music.
→ “Spraying causes
addiction”. A visual
play on cigarette
packaging with a
message that is all to
familiar amongst
graffiti writers.
During that time I developed my expression with spray cans by doing
characters with quotes and paintings with biographic content, and
”killed my darlings” to express it as simply and specifically as possible.
Artist in focus/Interview Max solca
117

← “Home is where
clean boxers are”.
Common amongst
graffiti nomads who
know all to well the
feeling of needing a
shower and a change
of clothes.
↓ A policeman’s POV.
You snooze, you lose.
← Don’t interrupt me.
I’m on holiday and I’m
chillin. Solca’s character
gives the viewer
the middle toe.
118 Artist in focus/Interview Max solca

↑ There is a solution
to every graffiti problem
which Solca reminds
us with style.
“No problemo”.
→ When art history
and the streets collide.
“Da Vinci Mode”
takes the European
double handed technique
twice as far.
← “Euro Disco”. Solca
gives the green light
for dancing under the
bridge.
← No words required.
High fiving dogs that
can skate, with
clouds, rainbows,
and illustrated walls.
Who cares what it’s
about, it looks good
regardless.
Artist in focus/Interview Max solca
119

Mostly the idea comes first, then how to do it as clearly as possible.
Some paintings don’t need a phrase and some paintings don’t
need an image. It’s always fun when the receiver can understand
without being too obvious.
120 Artist in focus/Interview Max solca

thing you can’t burn, a panel is more valuable than a
wall, and so on. Do any of these play a role in your
painting practice? And if so, which rule(s) and why these
particular rules?
MS
Those rules are also very much written here in Malmö.
And I think you have to respect them. For example, if
someone took a risk by painting a wall on the streets,
you can’t go over it even if you have permission. You can
adapt it to your work or ignore it, but who wants to see
legal graff everywhere they go?
MC
Do you see what you do as part of traditional graffiti?
MS
Yeah! I will never let go of it, because I love it, and
style-wise, I think it’s the most direct way to appear
visually.
MC
Often you incorporate phrases and images in a concept.
What comes first, the image element, or the words and
phrases element?
MS
Mostly the idea comes first, then how to do it as clearly
as possible. Some paintings don’t need a phrase and
some paintings don’t need an image. It’s always fun
when the receiver can understand without being too
obvious.
MC
When was the last time you were “wowed” by somebody
else’s work? Who was it and what is it that inspired you?
MS
That depends on whether it is Letter based or image-based.
I like Superspray´s productions because
they are playful and very well done, and Imonboy´s
graff-related paintings make me laugh. Ernestillm is
also totally amazing, although his paintings are too
good for me to relate to, style-wise that is.
MC
If you could go to one concert to see your favorite
music, what would it be?
MS
Masumi Hara playing ”Just like an Angel” would be
overwhelming!
MC
What is your favorite Montana can and cap combination?
MS
I like ”Beast” and its magic coverage although it’s
almost fluorescent. But ”Nappies” is probably my
favorite. The standard cap (black with a white dot) is
amazing because you can make perfect lines with
almost no precision. But if I had to choose one, it would
be the original black cap with the orange dot on the can.
I can do everything I want with it.
Steering graffiti in a new direction
Paths that remind us to not take
things too seriously and to take our
messages to the masses, not just
to graffiti writers.
It is clear to say that artists like Max Solca play an important role in steering modern-day graffiti down new paths.
Paths that remind us to not take things too seriously and to take our messages to the masses, not just to graffiti
writers. However, paths that are as equally driven by the pursuit of the perfect piece(s), or at least very much in line
with the knowledge of graffiti aesthetics. And for those that like the old paths of tradition, pure letter forms, and
elevation through competition, the undeniable humor in Solca’s work can potentially inspire words of acclaim
rather than words driven by the fear of being burned. Regardless of the viewpoint, Max Solca ticks so many of the
creative boxes that it is not possible to see his work without noticing it. We look forward to seeing which direction
he takes it and which clever takes on the English language he manages to conjure up next. Or any other language
for that matter.
Artist in focus/Interview Max solca
121

An update with
Funco
(aka FUNC88) from Paris
Location
Paris, France
Photography
Funco
Profile
@koolfunc88
↓ Where does it start
and where does it end?
Just one of Funco’s
graffiti investigations,
this piece takes us
with arrows from the
past to organic
blotches and spaces
of the future.
122 Artist in focus Funco

It has been a long time since FUNCO aka FUNC88,
has been bracing the vertical surfaces of Paris and
the world with his name. As a prolific member of the
ULTRABOYZ Crew, he has worked his way through a
collection of his favorite Montana GOLD, BLACK,
SILVERCHROME, ULTRAWIDE, and now TARBLACK
cans in the search for a new way to create. During this
time it was not only his preference for the type of cans
that changed, so too has his style, his approach, and his
ethos toward graffiti. What was once a classic endeavor
for graffiti style writing perfection has become a more
instinctive and organic process where the only judge of
his work worth taking into consideration is himself.
What was once a classic endeavor
for graffiti style writing perfection
has become a more instinctive and
organic process where the only
judge of his work worth taking into
consideration is himself.
← Clever role reversal.
FUNCO takes the traditional
graffiti focus
on the positive space
(the fill-in) and draws
the viewer down to the
negative space below
it (the background). All
while maintaining a balance
from left to right.
Upon reflecting on the works made in 2022,
FUNCO has also put pen to paper to give us a little
more insight into how he himself sees the work he
creates today. This is what he had to say.
“As time flies, I tend to see beauty
in different places when it comes
to shapes and forms. In 2022 I
didn’t see letters, composition,
and piecing like I used to. Nor did I
comprehend it anymore as I previously
did. It may sound weird but
my usual letter tracing and painting
routine felt obsolete. It was
repetitive and I want more than
this from my artwork, or at least I
want to try to do things differently
and have more fun with it.”
FUNCO
→ Far from obsolete,
FUNCO breaks the
traditions of graffiti
repetition and yet
manages to create a
recognizable form that
is always a one-off.
Artist in focus Funco
123

↑ A limited palette
brings FUNCO to his
goal.
↗ Embracing the
influence of the
elements, it is no
longer a race to an
expected result. Drips,
blotches, wind flair, or
cans that are running
empty are welcomed.
↗ As his gestures
change, so do the
movements of his
body, so do the the
results of his application
of the paint.
→ Even though FUNCO
builds up a surface of
layers, with each layer
he creates an illusion
of decay.
The work has become some form of decayed
graffiti
“I started to make all my pre-programmed graffiti
patterns disappear and attempt to camouflage everything.
I call these last paintings ‘Corroded Culbutos’.
They are not necessarily well balanced, didn’t follow a
logical structure (if we talk about standards), and
appeared to be all burned out and nibbled on. Possibly,
they relate more to elements within nature like blobs,
humus, or rotted roots. The work has become some
form of decayed graffiti.”
FUNCO
I started to create paintings based on
feelings
“I came to a point where I started
letting my mind roam free with all
my gestures. I started to create
paintings based on feelings rather
than following traditional steps in
the search of an expected result.
I need a bit of surprise in the action of painting and
I’m not against a little help from the elements (rain/
wind or whatever…) It always makes things interesting.
Even my tools have changed, I’m not concerned
anymore about a particular cap, I go with whatever
comes on the can or is in my bag at the time.”
FUNCO
124 Artist in focus Funco

Artist in focus Funco
125

“Recently, I fell in love with the Montana TARBLACK
cans and they have since become one of my favorites!
ULTRAWIDE help me to add texture on a large scale and
I used them mixed with other Montana BLACK colors on
a regular basis.
I have a different approach to my
paintings these days that is probably
quite noticeable. I’m not rejecting
my previous graffiti practice or
trying to get rid of it.
I have a different approach to my paintings
these days that is probably quite noticeable. I’m not
rejecting my previous graffiti practice or trying to get rid
of it. It’s just that for me, an evolution has occurred. Or
even a mutation. I assume a few resurgent bits and
pieces can be seen under those new potato-like forms
and their accompanying corrosive color clouds”.
FUNCO
↓ Small elements of
the past creep in to
create the new look.
Solid black lines
compliment the color
organisms within
them.
→ These new FUNCO
pieces still have the
funk. They are just
mutated with color
and texture.
126 Artist in focus Funco

↑ With geometry and
symmetry not being
the main focus, when
they are present, their
presence is felt.
← A work in progress,
or is it finished?
Without the presence
of the traditional
elements and rules of
graffiti writing,
viewers are forced to
look at FUNCO’s work
with fresh eyes.
It’s a bold move to step away from the
classic pre-programmed aesthetic beauty
of graffiti and focus on another type of
beauty that is connected more to how it
feels rather than how it looks. But if anyone
seems to be doing this successfully, it’s
FUNCO. We look forward to seeing where
this journey takes him.
Artist in focus Funco
127

GRAND OPENING:
Location
Frankfurt, Germany, Berliner Str. 37
Photography
Dominik Dresel, Alexander Krziwanie
Profile
@montanastorefrankfurt
Frankfurt, Germany – The newest addition
to the Frankfurt graffiti and art community
has arrived with the opening of the Montana
Store Frankfurt. Located at Berliner
Str. 37, the store offers a unique shopping
experience for artists and enthusiasts,
carrying the full range of Montana Cans
products, including the popular Montana
GOLD, Montana BLACK, TECH, and EFFECT
sprays, as well as markers and inks.
128 Recap MONTANA STORE FRANKFURT

frankfurt, Germany – The newest addition to the
Frankfurt graffiti and art community has arrived
with the opening of the Montana Store Frankfurt.
Located at Berliner Str. 37, the store offers
a unique shopping experience for artists and enthusiasts,
carrying the full range of Montana Cans products,
including the popular Montana GOLD, Montana BLACK,
TECH, and EFFECT sprays, as well as markers and inks.
The store is operated, with a team of knowledgeable
and passionate staff who can provide advice and
guidance on the use of Montana Cans products. In
addition, the store will constantly showcase local
artists’ work through exhibitions and events, creating a
platform for the Frankfurt Graffiti community.
We believe that the store will be a
hub for the graffiti and art community
in the Rhein Main Region, offering
the best possible stock, products
and services.
With the full range of Montana Cans
products and selected local merchandise
available, the store provides
all tools Graffiti writers and
artists need.
“We’re proud to elaborate the Montana Store
experience in Frankfurt,” said shop owner Fabian Pohl,
who runs also the Montana Store Vienna since 2018.
“We believe that the store will be a hub for the graffiti
and art community in the Rhein Main Region, offering
the best possible stock, products and services.”
The Montana Store Frankfurt is a creative hub
where artists can connect and collaborate. With the full
range of Montana Cans products and selected local
merchandise available, the store provides all tools
Graffiti writers and artists need. For more information
on the Montana Store Frankfurt, visit the store at
Berliner Str. 37 or check out the Store’s IG.
Recap MONTANA STORE FRANKFURT
129

german quality spray paint since 1996
Latest
Products
1
ULTRA WIDE 750ml
“Shark” & “Halloween”
The Montana ULTRA WIDE 750ml color range now welcomes the addition
of Shark and Halloween. With the same color characteristics and compatibility,
the equivalent colors of the Montana BLACK 400ml can range, Shark
and Halloween now extend the possibilities of painting fast, painting high,
and having more fun. Taking the color range from 10 to 12 colors, the UL-
TRA WIDE colors now consist of Kicking Yellow, Snow White, Silverchrome,
Black, Red, Blue, Royal Purple, Nappies, Light Blue, Power Green, Shark,
and Halloween.
Still the original
#GAMECHANGER,
the Montana ULTRA
WIDE range just keeps
getting stronger.
2
A complimentary vision.
A fully loaded
display box of LAIA’s
Montana BLACK Artist
Edition design cans in
front of one her signature
artworks.
BLACK Artist Edition 23 Laia
High Pressure Graffiti Spray Paint
The 23rd edition of the Montana BLACK Artist Edition can featuring
LAIA. The Barcelona-born Spanish graffiti artist is not only a prolific
style writer and art maker, but she is also the reason why Montana
BLACK Artist Edition can users and collectors have a great reason to
have a smile on their dials. Choosing the Montana BLACK color Yellow
BLK1030 was probably not much of a surprise for any fan of LAIA’s
fun-loving artwork. A color often used by the artist, yellow not only features
frequently in the happy yet very clever letters of her graffiti writing
practice, but it is also a color heavily used in her design work including
her Montana Cans Cotton Bag designs. LAIA isn’t all fun and games
though. Apart from being prolific, her creative concepts are also quirky,
innovative, and symbolic. Often using known pop culture icons like the
smiley face, LAIA’s creative reach has extended well beyond her adopted
city of Valencia. Dynamic colors applied in opaque solid modes complement
the refined images that have found their way on art prints, canvases,
walls, bags, and even clothing. Rainbows, smiling faces, drips,
bubbles, and arrows are just some of the universal elements that LAIA
has managed to give her personal touch.
130 Products Montana-cans.com

3
BLACK Artist Edition 24 Hownosm
High Pressure Graffiti Spray Paint
The 24th release of the Montana BLACK Artist Edition cans featuring the
New York based artists HOW and NOSM. Choosing the color P3000 Power
Red was no surprise as one of the most powerful reds, a color which is at
the cornerstone of their color schemes. As well as gradients of pink and
grey, red is one of the three iconic colors (including black and white) adopted
by the duo first due to practicality, and later by choice. Combinations
of red, black, and white as eye-catching as they are, function like a
calling card for their world-renowned murals and fine art. Raoul and Davide
Perré are not only identical twin brothers, but they are also the ultimate
example of creative partnership, synergy, and discipline. They have
been working as a team for as long as they have been alive. Outgrowing
their native Spain and adopted home Germany, the duo set a path to the
U.S.A relatively early on in their career and they have called New York
home ever since.
No turning your back
on style, the TAG
t-shirt design by
SICOER levels the
playing field when it
comes to apparel.
4
BACKPRINT TAG T-Shirt by SICOER
High-quality 100% organic cotton base t-shirt
The Polish artist SICOER has carved his name in contemporary graffiti history
with his commitment and achievements in taking the graffiti discipline
of tagging to new heights. As a featured Montana BLACK Limited Edition
artists series can designer, if anyone hadn't heard of him before, they well
and truly know about him now! The logical conclusion was to capture his
unique hand style on the Montana Cans tag t-shirt with white print on a black
high-quality 100% organic cotton base.
5
T-Shirt – I paint what I want
to see
High-quality 100% organic cotton base t-shirt
The Spanish artist FRESH enters the realm of graffiti writers
that have be chosen to design a limited-edition t-shirt
for the Montana cans apparel range. Her message: I paint
what I want to see, features a high quality 4-color screen
print on a white t-shirt base that is made of sturdy 180g/m²
100% cotton. Created in the much-loved unisex t-shirt sizing,
these shirts are a stylish and comfortable fit regardless
of who is wearing them. Ranging from S to XXL, this
is yet another collectible shirt that is perfect for wear in
any season, or any occasion.
Never predictable. A
FRESH approach to
the Montana t-shirt
range.
Products montana-cans.com
131

6
Montana Key Holder
Secure Montana Key Holder
In the call for the never-ending challenge to keep your keys secure and together
with style, the Montana Key Holder takes the Montana TYPO logo to
a new home. Perfectly placed on the flat strong black synthetic cord, the
white and green colorway is carefully complimented with a strong matt
black metal loop to attach all your keys. While on the other side, a strong
matt black metal carabiner ensures safe fastening to bags, belts, clothes,
or other preferred materials.
7
Montana Foldable RPET Bag
High-quality Foldable RPET Bag
The Montana Foldable RPET Bag is one of the latest carrying solution in the
Montana bag range. This strong flexible bag can not only carry between 10
to 12 spray cans or up to 5kg of weight but it can also be folded up for easy
and discrete storage. Made of RPET Recycled PET plastic bottles (3 for
each bag), when the bag is open it spans 46 x 42 x 12cm and is approximately
12 x 10 cm when folded up. The light gray printed cut fence design PAINT
WHERE IT AINT by Sellout Industries makes for a perfect addition as this
bag combines function and aesthetics at an affordable price.
8
Montana Cotton
Bag donut print
High-quality 100% cotton bag
The Montana Cotton Bag DONUT PRINT series is
the latest addition to the Cotton bag range.
Available in the colors BLK400-5250 Knock Out
Blue, BLK400-2093 Code Red, and BLK400
-9001 Black, this series pays small homage to
the big innovation of the color donut ring on the
top of cans. The white print is centrally placed
on the applicable colored cotton bag in the same
style as that if the print on the color donut on
each Montana BLACK can. The familiar 38 x
42cm sizing and high quality 100% cotton means
this is a practical collector's item in the making.
These light-weight but sturdy bags make transporting
your valuables easy and efficient.
132 Products Montana-cans.com

9
Montana SWIM Shorts BRICK WALL & GOSPEL
100% Polyester swim short
The Montana Swim Short BRICK WALL and the recent design by Greek Artist Gospel pair style and
practicality with comfort. Each of these swim shorts boasts a unique printed pattern on 100% polyester
fabric, which is easy to care for. The soft mesh lining provides comfort in the water, while two
front pockets and a zip-up back pocket offer ample storage. With a quality elastic waistband and
durable waist cord, the shorts ensure a secure fit.
10
Enamel Mug by SOBEKCIS
“MONTANA CANS TAG”
Painting in the sun is not only fun, but it can also be exhausting. Avoid dehydration
or broken cups with the Montana Enamel Mug "MONTANA
CANS TAG" by artist due Sobekcis. This sturdy metal mug is coated in durable
beige enamel, that is cook-top, dishwasher and campfire-friendly.
Embellished with decorative spray paint over-spray and the Montana
Cans TAG in the light grey and black colorway, this almost unbreakable
vessel is travel-ready, or perfect for home and studio use. Hand-made in
Europe, its 95mm radius and 80mm height offers 300ml of hot or cold liquid
filling capacity. At 170gm of weight (unfilled), taking a drink break has
never been so easy.
11
Montana Sticker roll
“Hello my name is ...”
The "hello my name is ..." sticker, made from
coated label paper, is on the roll of 500 pcs.
The roll is perforated, so you can easily share
them also in smaller units. A single Montana
Hello my Name Stickers measures 12cm x 9cm.
Keep your name rolling
on with the Hello
My Name Is Montana
Sticker Roll.
Products montana-cans.com
133

#GERMANSPRAYPAINT

#GERMANSPRAYPAINT

138

#montanablack #germanspraypaint
139

140

@ edward.nightingale 141

142

@ slac.off @ edward.nightingale 143

LOOKBOOK / EDITION #08 / 2023
WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM