Happy No Fear

PrefID (@pref_id) is a British artist who paints around the world. 

We talk about dating fellow artist Adele Renault, hard kombucha leading to amnesia, moving to LA, how their dog came into their life, his love for Belgium’s excellent beer and food items, his process, the reason for not using tape in his murals, the pursuit of perfection, taming the medium, his hate for typography, how letters can communicate beyond their usual means, the trajectory to authenticity, how his collaboration with Fendi turned into a full collection and his crew ID.

www.prefprefpref.com

IG: @pref_id

Listen on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible or anywhere else. // #pref #pref_id  #design #streetart #arttalk #podcast

We talk about recently surviving a heart attack, working at Riot Games as an Art Director, moving to Venice Beach from Montreal, the benefits of Kung Fu, discovering Hip Hop and graffiti in the late ‘80s, working with the first Mac to start working with Adobe Illustrator, being vectorheads, feeling-based outlines, Designer Republic, partying in Belgium and getting influenced by the club scene there in the early ‘90s, skating in Ostend at a Leffinge Skatepark, trusting artists with the freedom to do what they want to do, where things are going, staying pure about graffiti elements in their work, the 30 year anniversary of 123KLAN, being 72 and rocking a double outline, being thankful for the new generation pushing boundaries, anti-style being so difficult to execute, getting settled in LA, and doing one more European Paint Tour.

www.123klan.com
IG: @123KLAN

Klor is a French artist and partner with Scien in 123KLAN, who paints worldwide.

We talk about growing up in the north of France/south of Belgium, being there at the beginning of the movement, being married to Scien for 28 years, working on each other’s work with full trust, coming up as a girl in the graffiti scene, always including graffiti lettering in projects, the preciousness of the lack of access before things became a trend, how they ended up in Montreal, moving to LA, their system for staying free and independent, being picky about collabs, keeping your overhead low and work ethic high, BANDIT-1$M, painting canvases in the winter, sticking to purist rules, painting for one’s self, vibrancy, being a vectorhead, working with Adobe Illustrator in 1994, how they approach projects, the benefit of not talking, equal creative partnership, selling direct vs. working with galleries, refusing to sell paintings to certain people, and the meaning behind the name 123KLAN.

www.123klan.com
IG: @klor123klan
IG: @123klan

Davey Leavitt is an artist and designer and the former co-founder of Cyrcle. He lives and works in Los Angeles. We talk about low-key chic living in Los Feliz, the apprehension for learning new things, Kung Fu George popping up at the right time, joining a lesbian basketball league, becoming conscious, every artist dealing with trauma, living with depression, vanilla granola, mustard seeds of faith, healing from pain and becoming of service, the benefits of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, anger as assertiveness, dogs becoming family members, getting inspiration from his wife Mel, entering his neutral period, double drop shadows, starting over, painters not having a distribution model for their work as opposed to musicians or other creatives, starting off in streetwear in Oakland, moving to LA to art direct for FiveFour, the euphoric feeling of getting samples back, the 614 story, the difficulty of creative partnerships, how Cyrcle ended, needing a W, the President of the Douche Club, leaning towards design, artists that don’t know they’re artists, and how the sweet is never as sweet without the sour.

www.daveyleavitt.com
IG: @davey_leavitt

Skount is a Spanish artist and a master chef living in Amsterdam. We talk about the Holy Waters of Lourdes, the almost non-existent lockdown during the pandemic in Amsterdam, turning clubs into gyms, the can-do spirit of the Dutch, painting in Copenhagen, the crazy story of how he ended up living in Amsterdam and most likely avoided jail time in Panama, creating menus, meeting in Venice 12 years ago, taking cabs around LA, the importance of signing and copyrighting your murals, getting inspired by the artist Laguna, the best department store in Tokyo: Tokyu Hands, daytime missions in Shibuya, the use of masks and symbolism in his work, his experiences with ayahuasca and getting dosed by a shaman with peyote, the meaning behind his name and getting inspired by everything.

www.skountart.com
IG: @skountart

Steve Saiz is a legendary professional skateboarder and artist/designer living in Los Angeles. We talk about the US Angeles group show he curated, skating with Spike Jonze, Freestyler Magazine, the resurgence of skateboarding in the ‘80s, touring Europe with the Bones Brigade, the beauty and far reach of skateboarding, Stacey Peralta’s influence, building skateparks for Native Americans, the story behind his iconic board graphic, George Powell’s involvement in Powell Peralta, the wit of Jason Lee, personality vs tech ability, the story behind the featherboards, hanging out with Nirvana, ollying before the trick was named, coming up with the ‘Skateboarding is Not a Crime’ sticker with Tony Hawk in North Carolina in 1987, skating with Shephard Fairey, how Heath Ledger’s Joker may be based on SMA’s Skip Engblom and what the future holds.

www.stevesaiz.la
IG: @saiz5412

ZLA is an artist an illustrator in LA. We talk about having a studio for the first time, making the switch from working for an advertising agency full-time for 10 years to working part-time to focus on making art, growing up in Glendale drawing mazes, why the senses are time-machines, having an older brother who was into graffiti, going to UC Davis and Art Center Pasadena, hand-me-down knowledge, keeping bridges in order, infusing walls with love energy, knowing when you’re ready to step up, everyone wanting to be an artist, commercial work being like babies put up for adoption, the purists’ perspective, the danger of taking on too much work, how to turn the dope shit into your shit, planting seeds in gardens that are fertile, and the meaning behind ZLA.

Website: www.zla.la

IG: @zla_la

Kii Arens is an illustrator, artist, musician and director who lives and works in Los Angeles. We talk about painting the facade of the Roxy on the Sunset Strip, spin art, opening up for Gangstarr back in the day, performing at Prince's 31st birthday party, designing the last Van Halen poster, the gig poster world, poppers, designing for Woodstock '94 and '95 and playing the festival as part of the agreement, the Warhol tribute show 'Diet Warhol' at La-La Land Gallery coming up, Paul Frank, choosing quality over quantity, turning Mr. Brainwash away at the studio door, and his show 'Life of Kii.'

www.kiiarens.com
IG: @kiiarens
YouTube: Life of Kii

John Park is an artist living in LA who paints around the US. We talk about Cannibal Flower, coming up in Ohio, attending RISD, the CIA using Modern Art in a covert operation in the '50s to combat the cultural Cold War, soft power flexes, Alphonse Mucha, Frog Tape, the 28,000 square feet Nike job, cracking sidewalks with lifts, hand-painted giant advertisements, the process of painting a basketball court, investigating the things that scare you, the power of saying yes, regulating self-talk, Saturdays feeling like Mondays, becoming friends with your past, teaching art at Concord High School and being the whistleblower on its corruption, always over-delivering, having 50 non-artists paint 50 paintings on a fictional show called 'Striver: The Art Edition," and being the last of the analogues.

www.johnparkart.com
IG: @johnparkart

Nychos is an artist from Vienna who lives in LA and works around the world. We talk about his upcoming show with @mirusgallery in LA: 'The Awakening' and the 100+ paintings in it, getting healthier and more clear in mind,body and soul the closer he got to finishing the work for the show, painting as a way to clear out and let go, being the sickness and the medicine at the same time, taking accountability for your own bullshit, the 5 collaborative paintings in the show with @saturnoart, @persue1, @1010zzz, @oh_yanoe and @theartofchase, and all the goodies that will be released the day of the show.

www.nychos.com
IG: @nychos