Montana LOOKBOOK #08 / 2023

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