Introduce yourself in a few words. What is your background?
Sufyr: I've been drawing ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil in my hand. My life path is eclectic, and the only common thread is the escape of the mind that comes from drawing and painting. I tried several artistic jobs before embarking and fully enjoyed myself as a painter for 7 years.
DASHone: I am a street art artist. I come from the graffiti scene, inspired by hip-hop culture, its codes, and its values. I’m self-taught and have been graffitiing since I was 13 years old, working on my hometown’s walls: Nancy. Furthermore, I made lettering without looking for aesthetics but more in the process of teenage rebellion; then as I grew up, my artistic approach matured and evolved; I turned to other media, other formats, and of course, canvas.
How did your vocation as a street artist come about?
Sufyr: It came from wanting to show to a wide audience my passion for drawing and painting by using the public space.
DASHone: Graffiti was a passion. When I signed my first contract with an art gallery in Marseille, this passion gradually evolved into a professional approach.
From the street to the canvas, what’s your creative space? Does it have any limit?
Sufyr: All surfaces that can be painted on and give a real added value to artistic creation.
DASHone: From the street to the canvas, via palisades, at the bottom of buildings, on road signs, or objects of all kinds, as long as it remains possible, my creative space is limitless...
What are your artistic inspirations, influences, and references?
Sufyr: I am curious about all artistic movements as long as they convey emotion.
DASHone: The hip-hop movement undoubtedly, even though I am particularly fond of the great Renaissance masters.
What are the meanings of the themes and colours you use? Do you wish to convey a message through your artworks?
Sufyr: I don't pretend to convey a message, but sometimes I raise awareness about inequalities, put the human being back at the core of the debates and I wish for "beauty" to regain its place in a world saturated with all kinds of visual content.
DASHone: The themes I address are those to which I am particularly sensitive: injustice, struggle, violence, childhood... today’s world...
Through my artwork, I want to convey human values and awaken the observer's sensitivity to the truths that surround us, whether they are dramatic, committed, or funny. Hope remains the main message, although my portraits are mostly in black and white, my creations remain colourful, I use shades that inspire freshness and cheerfulness.
What was your reaction when you were offered a collaboration? Did you know each other beforehand?
Sufyr: I am apprehensive about artistic encounters. I knew his artwork but not the artist himself, and I must admit, after this collaboration, that was a beautiful encounter.
DASHone: I know Sufyr and appreciate his work as well as his sensitivity, and beyond that, I value sharing and union, which is one of the messages I convey through my work, and I think that each encounter or artistic collaboration can only be enriching and formative.