Shepard Fairey has been the unofficial ambassador of Street Art and Urban Art for nearly 30 years. His influence on the art world, art market, and pop culture in general is undeniable. But what does it take to maintain such longevity at the top? How must one shift and maneuver through changes in public opinion, and economic peaks and valleys? Perhaps the answer is to stay the course, be true to yourself and your vision, consistently evolve and produce, and never take your foot off the gas.

Fresh off his massive three-man show in London alongside Damien Hirst and Invader, and only hours before his prestigious exhibition at Berlin’s Fotografiska museum, Shepard Fairey sat down with JB and Tom to talk about legacy, the benefits and pressures of being one of the most famous artists on the planet, and how music has been a major influence on his life and work the whole way through.

One of Australia’s most decorated stencil artist ELK has spent over 20 years perfecting his craft.  His predominantly hand cut photorealistic stencil work, ranging in subject matter from political and controversial to satirical and lighthearted, have landed him numerous awards and art prizes including being the first stencil artists named as a finalist for the Archibold Awards, Australias most prestigious art prize. In our conversation with ELK we discuss current views on stencil art in the contemporary art scene, the opportunities and pitfalls that come along with being recognised by the art establishment with prestigious awards, his interest and involvement in politics and global social justice, and life as self-employed artists in a time of global economic uncertainty.   

After graduating from art college with a concentration in painting, Sophi Odling switched lanes and began working in the fashion industry where she thrived and progressed for over a decade. Following the birth of her first child however, Sophi realised that she was thirsty for something different out of life, inspiring her to leave the world of fashion and return to painting.  This decision would set the course for her next chapter of life as a mural painter.  Based in Sydney Australia, Sophie has traveled far and wide leaving her mark from South America to the Middle East and all around the US, Europe, and Australia. Her delicate work blends themes of family, nature and the human experience through bold color pallets and subtle storytelling.

Graffiti artists Pichi and Avo met while painting graffiti in Valencia Spain in the early 2000s.  Their similar aesthetics and desire to push their work into a new direction brought them together and in 2007 they officially joined forces to created the now legendary duo PichiAvo.  The group’s shared training in fine art and love of graffiti coupled with a desire to blend the two led to the development of their now globally recognised signature style, combining delicately rendered classical Greek and Roman sculptural figures with a bold mash up of layered graffiti in a consistent color palette which they have managed to maintain over a decades long career.  Their commitment to consistency and the impressive level of output in both public art as well as studio work over the years has placed the duo among the most prominent and sought after artists in the current urban art scene.  

Kitsune Jolene is a Belgian artist with a heavy presence on the mural scene for nearly a decade taking part in various mural festivals and events across the globe at a staggering pace. With her beautifully specific color pallet and whimsical storytelling her work has been described as visually poetic and deeply intimate.  After interning for a local mural festival in Belgium she discovered her love of the art form and with virtually no prior art training set out to teach herself the craft of mural painting. Originally painted with spray paint, later mostly with brushes and bucket paint, her monumental female subjects awash in pink, orange and violet hues carry a soft strength and are often accompanied by local flora, fauna, and symbolism to further connect the artwork to the location in which it is painted.  

Mad C is without a doubt one of the most influential and respected graffiti and mural artists in the world.  As an early pioneer of the first wave of German graffiti writers in the early 90’s, she was not only pushing gender boundaries in a mostly male dominated landscape, she also pushed boundaries of technique, style, themes, and generally what was considered even possible with a spray can driving standards up across Europe and even globally.  

Inspiring generations of painters has simply been a side effect of Mad C’s inner drive and constant innovation within her own work which she has parlayed into a thriving decades long studio practice, putting her name and work into some of the most prestigious collections and conversations around the globe.  As her paintings have evolved step by step from back alleys to museum walls, from spray cans to brushes and home made tools one thing that’s never changed is her unwavering thirst for self discovery and individuality.

One of Austin Texas’s top graffiti writers and muralists, Mez Data has been painting walls for as long as he can remember.  What started as mostly letter based graffiti shifted into characters and portraits and these days, with decades of experience, Mez can confidently paint anything imaginable.  His murals and canvas work, all done exclusively with spray paint, have a unique consistency through his choice of colours and handling of the spray can, making it not about what he paints but rather how he paints that identifies his work.  That said, he is best known for his exaggerated portraits which fall somewhere between characature and photorealism, but with an retro Americana twist hinting to the artist’s pre-millennium upbringing in east Texas.  

Loretta Lizzio is an Australian painter and muralist whose work draws on themes of femininity, strength, sensuality, nature, and mysticism among other things.  After a traumatic bus accident in her late 20’s derailed her from her life path for nearly a year and a half, her world simultaneously fell apart and began to take its full form.  Multiple surgeries helped her regain her physical functioning, and speech therapy helped her regain her ability to speak again, but art making during this time truly helped to heal her soul and solidified her decision of what she wanted to do with her life.  Not long after her recovery, she was invited to paint her first mural and hasn’t looked back ever since.  Her gallery work and large scale murals depict woman submerged in water surrounded by greenery, which she personally photographs using underwater photography techniques that she thought of herself.  These otherworldly images balance darkness and euphoria, beauty and tragedy, strength and submission, and are uniquely Loretta’s Lizzio. 

Ledania is one of the most unique and lovely people you will some day hopefully have the opportunity to meet if you haven’t already.  Born and raised in Columbia South America, Ledania’s colourful personality and appearance are mirrored in her work. Although seemingly opposite, her hard mostly black punk rock fashion aesthetic and her explosively colorful and somewhat feminine artwork both express the boldness and strong confidence of the artist. Her art has taken her around the world and back numerous times and has put her in high demand with brands, galleries, mural festivals and of course art collectors.  With a heavy output of studio paintings, sculptures, brand collabs, and other interesting projects, Ledania’s true love is and always has been painting murals.  These days mostly based in Asia, Ledania’s work can be found throughout the globe including her recent feature solo exhibition at the Museum of Graffiti in Miami.

If you know anything about Australian street art and muralism than you know about Everfresh Studio and it’s enormous impact on the Australian and specifically Melbourne art scene.  You might also know that for over a decade Mike Makatron has been the senior member and even director of Everfresh, lending opportunity and influence to countless artists who have called the space home over the years.  While Everfresh Studio is where he produces the majority of his studio work, it’s actually his mural work that most people know him for.  With over 20 years of painting in the streets and countless jobs and projects that have brought him to nearly every corner of the globe, Makatron’s hustle and productivity is unquestionable.  With “nature” as the loose through-line connecting all of his work from public art to studio paintings and sculpture, Makatron explores a wide range of subject matter and art making processes and materials.