Hello My Name Is: Krek

Name: Krek
Crew: FMS & GIN
City/Country: Manchester / England
When did you start writing? I started writing the name Krek in 2004

What’s graffiti for you? Graffiti changes for every writer over the years – Right now i feel it’s back on my terms, I write for me, for enjoyment and the experiences and exchanges that come along with doing so.

Influences? Late 70’s early 80’s Graffiti – The Psychedelic Art and Music movement, Surrealism, Vandalism, The list goes on…

Tell us about your city, how is life and graffiti there? Manchester is a great vibrant city – Full of all walks of life and all sorts of characters. Manchester has produced some World-Renound Infamous style masters of graffiti writers in the 80’s and 90’s. I’m proud to be from a city with such a great heritage.

What writers have inspired you? Mers, FMS / Onek, NM / The1, NM / Shine 159 / Petro / Carl 123 / FIGS Crew / NKA Crew / YRP Crew / Bilos & Roid This list goes on…

What keeps you still writing? Writing graffiti is a big challenge – against the cities, against yourself…All sorts… I enjoy the everything that comes with graffiti and with the places you do it – the people you do it with and the people who are just seeing it. It’s amazing to see my name and other names making steps allover the world – From anyone starting out with a random name and giving that name a meaning is a great thing, the possibilities are endless.

What first made you interested in graffiti and how did you end up on that track? I was always interested in Graffiti from an early age, but after being exposed to the graffiti bibles ‘Subway Art’ and ‘Spraycan Art’ i knew i wanted to write.

What trends are you seeing now in the graffiti world that you don’t like? Im not sure i hate it but It’s kind of a catch 22 – I love to see such hardcore and infamous underground writers sharing they’re mysteries and amazing pieces online – But at the same time I feel a small sense of mystery dies. I am new to instagram, i don’t actually use an i-phone / smartphone daily but I’m shocked to see just how many amazing hidden treasures are now just freely displayed online nowadays – I love to see the graffiti – but a little part of me hates that feeling of magic disappearing… Seeing such amazing pieces put online in a square photo format is an overall shame i guess, i feel there’s a better way of viewing graffiti, you know what I’m saying?

What do you do when you’re not painting? Im an avid classic car enthuses and regularly play Poker at casinos throughout the country.

How would you describe your style? I would describe my graffiti style as my own take on classic early graffiti letterforms, with a strong influence of psychedelia. I try to put as much of my own personality into my graffiti so that its stands true wherever it may be found.

Future plans? Just to Continue and see where my graffiti goes and where it takes me. I’ve also been making paintings and doing exhibitions of my artwork for sometime now and feel i have separated them both – so my graffiti is one thing and my artwork is a total separate entity but has strong connections through style, colour, theme and ethics. Im currently working only 2nd large solo exhibition about a fictional character I’ve been working on named ‘Frankie Purple’ which will take place next year at the end of 2016.

What do you hope people will think and feel when they see your stuff? It changes, when i first started out i just wanted to be part of graffiti, to live it, learn and experience it – i also wanted to earn the respect of my peers and local writers i looked up at the time, But Like anything that you give a lot of time to – it grows, and your perspective changes. I still want people to see my work, and if so take inspiration from it. The main thing i want to convey with my work is that I’m still doing it for all of it for all the right reasons – Purely for the love and experiences that come from it and to clear my head of its ideas through painting.

Website: www.the-dead-bird.blogspot.com
Instagram: @krekfms