When it comes to New Zealand Graffiti and the major players in the scene today, Berst is without a doubt one of the first names that comes to mind. With endless style and some of the cleanest lines you’ll ever see, he gets mad love from all around the globe. The complexity of composition in his work as well as insane color combinations are proof of decades of practice and refined skills. Away from the wall, Berst is pushing the limits of possibilities as well. Organizing paint jams and events, teaching university classes to budding artists while finishing up his own higher level studies, and working on experimental multimedia projects are just some of the things he does in his “free time”. He’s even got his own YouTube channel where he constantly produces (conceptualizes, films, edits, and promotes all himself) numerous video series mostly based on the craft of graffiti which are some of the best reference out there for people trying to wrap their heads around the history, culture, and techniques of graffiti.

While VantagePoint and Berst were both in Napier, New Zealand for Pangeaseed’s Sea Walls project we plucked the man right off his wall and sat him down for a very interesting chat.