Freshly Inked Interview with Fanakapan
You’ve sculpted, painted and played with 3D art. Which would you say is your favorite? Why?
I used to be a professional prop maker before I got myself into street art.
I worked for Nickelodeon, BBC, MTV, etc. I enjoyed making sculptures for other artists too, but I think painting with spray cans has become my most comfortable and versatile. I lost my patience a bit with all of the filling and sanding that goes along with creating 3D pieces.
Being a street artist, you run the risk of having your art covered by other artists’ work/painting. Does that ever deter you from wanting to continue working in the graffiti world?
My work gets painted over all the time and over the years it bothers me less.
it's not like I'm going to stop painting if someone lines me out; it would be pretty funny if I did though. Maybe if I had another job, I might have a tantrum and quit (haha.)
You have a solo show coming up in August to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of helium - how do you generally prepare yourself for shows? Any quirky superstitions or routines?
My show in August is approaching fast, as usual, last min travel for work jobs have come up in between so the usual last min panicking and painting 24/7 is going to happen. That seems to be tradition, I work better under pressure.
Do you have a favorite city you enjoy working in the most?
I don't have a favorite city to paint in but I think Berlin, as a whole, has become one of the best places to produce work due to the number of like-minded friends I meet up with when I'm there.
You have #highfive repeatedly found on your Instagram account- any particular relevance or personal affiliation to your art?
The "high 5" is just a tacky gimmick of mine to throw up in high places around the world. (If you let go of a helium balloon - it floats up high.)
So, painting fives in high up places like mountains or skyscrapers seemed to make that gimmick/throwie make sense.
What other artists or people have you been inspired by?
I am inspired by my friends, not directly from certain artists, but maybe the mindset and drive of some of them. I used to struggle with controlling my urge to party while I painted, finally got that under control and it's down to my friends. They know who they are.
What's the hardest part of your job?
I'd say the hardest part of my job might be getting enough sleep, as an insomniac that travels through time zones. That and eating properly and not living off of pizza. Also, paint orders seem to have messed up quite frequently recently and when you are the other side of the world with nothing else to do, that can turn out to be a nightmare.
What was it like seeing your work on Fox Five news?
Someone sent me a screenshot of my work on fox 5 news. To be honest, it doesn't mean too much seeing that, they never credit you as an artist and they say whatever they want about it, so it makes no difference whatsoever.
what's the best advice you've gotten on your work or before you did this professionally?
I think the best advice has been there for years without me noticing it. It's only when I'm doing things properly that I get occasional flashbacks from old teachers' advice telling me to do stuff properly. My Grandad always said "try and be sensible," that's still the best advice I think I've ever had.
