Our latest interview is with Rotterdam based artist, Ox Alien.
1. We are a big fan of your work. What is coming up that we need to know?
Thanks, most of the time I don’t plan too much ahead and most walls I paint are self initiated and found on the same day I paint them. But an annual trip to Berlin is in the pipeline and thats always good fun for spreading some Oxies. I am currently working on a new series of canvases for some upcoming shows.
2. What mediums do you use at the moment to make the artworks and are there any new progress in new mediums or formats?
For my canvases, I normally use acrylic paint, latex paint and markers for outlines. My favorite size has got to be an 80cm x 80cm 3d canvas. For walls, I use all kinds of mediums, latex and all different kind of spray paint. I really like the idea to make something colorful from an old grey wall, so people will notice it and beforehand would have never notice the wall.
3. How do you look at the Dutch street art and graffiti scenes?
The scene in Holland is not that big and most of the guys who have been painting for a while know each other. But a lot of writers who paint traditional graffiti don’t like the street art scene and I don’t know why. The other way around, its not like that. In my point of view its all the same. Everything painted with spray paint is graffiti. In the seventies, Â they already painted subway cars in New York with characters, but they didn’t call it street art yet.
4. What is the next step in to the future of street art?
It’s getting bigger and bigger. I think there are gonna be more galleries in the Netherlands who will show street art. They simply can not go around it anymore. It is here to stay. Hopefully in the future it will be more accepted and we will see a lot of great projects.
5. If you have to choose, which city would you like to conquer next?
I have got a lot of cities in mind but Miami and Guatemala city are for sure on my bucket list at the moment.
6. I have seen a big progress in your artwork. What do you think about your own progress of the last years?
For me, it all started with a pink flying head with one eye as an “O” and one eye as an “X”. Lately, IÂ created a whole bunch of characters who are coming back time to time. Like an Oxtopus and a centipede, and making huge piles of characters is really fun to do. Of course, painting everyday improves your skills.
7. You are a very dedicated artist and travel around the world. Is there any advise you can give to younger dedicated artists and your fans?
There is no such better thing for me to combine holidays with painting walls. Just to leave your characters behind in a far away country on an old wall somewhere is just awesome. Also the experience of meeting artists and hang out with them is great. You will see a side of the city you won’t normally see as a tourist. For example, meeting Frenemy earlier this year in Ho Chi Minh City was good fun. We made a really crazy wall together and connected straight away. Before I go on a trip like that I normally contact some of the local artists beforehand to check if they are up for some painting. Instagram is great for that!Â
8. What is the biggest change in the last twenty years if you look at the street art and graffiti scene?
The biggest change for me is when I switched from painting graffiti to making characters. Normally the graffiti that I painted was illegal and in the night. Nowadays, you get a lot of response from the people on the streets because they can see straight away what you are making. If you make letters most of the people can not read it and the only thing they will come up with is… Nice colors. Without any permission you can easily get away with painting characters on a wood wall at a construction-site right in the city centre. So you can see street art is really integrated.
9. What has been your favourite work in the past year?
I really like the “Frozen” wall I painted together with Joachim, K-Shit and KBTR in Belgium not long ago. It always works when you stick to a color theme.
