Schmidt put in a lot of greenery in the mural to drive home the point of their dearth in Karachi
Images: With graffiti art in its truest form largely non-existent in Pakistan due to lack of exposure to this form of art, organisations such as I AM Karachi and VASL are taking up the initiative to beautify walls by asking artists to paint their unique ideas. How is this different from graffiti art in Germany?
Sebastian: It’s the same in Germany- some walls are illegally painted, while some are legal. If you want to make elaborate designs, you cannot do that illegally in Germany, because you have half an hour or so before the police catch you.
On the other hand, good graffiti artists get jobs from firms to paint their office walls etc. ‘Halls of fame’ also exist - these are mostly places the city gives to graffiti sprayers; essentially their places to ‘play’. There are set rules, such as: don’t go over something that you can’t beat. If you go over a better artist’s work, you get hate and no one will work with you.
Images: Who are your artistic inspirations?
The first person is DARE, from Basel, Switzerland, who passed away recently. He was the king of letters, done in a plain, beautiful way. I also admire Manuel, who’s called YOURS. He’s like a mentor.
Images: Being fairly familiar with the Karachi art scene, what advice would you give to emerging talent in Pakistan?
Sebastian: Graffiti art is not like the rest of the art scene - it's pretty tough on the streets. There are complications; artists also end up going to prison for doing it. If you decide to pursue it, you need to ask yourself why you want to do it. Those who work just for fame, their careers are over after 2-3 years.
For graffiti sprayers in Pakistan, using good tools and materials is essential. Otherwise the work ends up looking subpar. Remember, priorities create your life. If your priority is art, you will work hard at it and become successful some day. If you’re lazy, then you’ll go nowhere.
Images: Thanks for your time, Sebastian! It was great talking to you.
Sebastian: Same here! You’re welcome.
All photographs courtesy the VASL Artists' Collective