Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello. My name is Virginia Elias, better known in the arts scene as Ziza.
I’m 23, I live in Jardim Imperial, in the north zone of Sao Paulo, right next to Vila Nova Cachoeirinha.
I started as an artist right there in the north zone, at the CCJ (Youth Community Center), where I took a graffiti course.
Before that I already enjoyed art, I’ve drawn since I was a kid. But I got into graffiti through that course.
And since then I’ve been developing my art, participating in different things, like comic books, animation, photography…
Well, art, it made me develop skills in different media, like comic books and animation…
I am currently involved in a group called Graffiti com Pipoca (Graffiti with Popcorn), where we are developing stop motion animation with graffiti.
It’s the same technique used by Blue in the U.S.
I have a fashion designer degree. It may seem contradictory, but actually, in art, it all makes sense.
I don’t work in that field, I work as a cultural teaching assistant. Also, I do other stuff, like commercial illustration.
I own an internet store and I am developing myself through art.
Well, graffiti is big in the north zone. Lettering is important, as well as Snif, PVC, Smile... or the guys from Bomb, anyway.
In illustration, there’s our partnership with EsBomGaroto.
The folks from Parque Jardim Antarctica do great work. I’m from there.
Also, there’s other artists from the north zone, like the guys from Shalak,
or Smoking, which is actually near Brasilândia…
I think graffiti is easier nowadays, of course. It doesn’t stick out that much anymore.
There’s the Barcelona spray can, the spray can from who knows where...
But I think that, as a young artist, I must create new stuff.
If spray becomes too easy, I must come up with a new spraying technique.
I think you must always move towards evolution, not imitation, right?
‘Cause if you’re gonna be a copycat, we can pretty much stick to what's already being done.
Well, as for the women in graffiti, of course deep down you’ll find some prejudice.
Actually, I think it might even not be prejudice.
It’s more like a difficulty. A pre-judgment, from the person herself.
I was quite biased like that when I started. I used to think: “Man, what are the boys gonna think of me?”
But after a couple of years I threw it all away and said “dammit, I gotta be myself”.
And put myself really into it.
That was pretty cool, ‘cause I’ve always worked together with the girls.
Even on this mural behind me you can see some girls from GrafiteirasBR.
I think women are really organized right now.
There’s GrafiteirasBR, which is still going, right? And other groups as well.
There’s the folks from Santo André, the Só Calcinha
And a really cool project to watch right now is Rueiras SP.
The artist Katia Suzue has been developing a catalog of women in graffiti here in Sao Paulo since 2006.
If you want to follow this project, you just have to google Rueiras SP.
As I was saying, to keep an eye on the Rueiras SP effort, just look for “Rueiras SP” on Google or Facebook.
There’s a page for them, and you can keep up with the production of this catalog that will be published as a book.
Just for the record, this effort is becoming that artist’s graduation thesis.
Well, I started in graffiti back in 2006. And in 2010... Was it 2010? No, 2011.
In 2011, I took part in a project that consisted of
an interchange program in Berlin, with an NGO called Conceitos de Rua
It was pretty cool, ‘cause I had never been there before. The farthest place I had ever been was Piracicaba.
And after a 15 hour trip, I was in another country. I couldn’t speak German, or English, or anything.
It was so cool, It was like waging a war against language itself.
And it was also cool because having the notion about the differences in art here ad abroad really changed my life.
In Berlin, people dig art. Galleries, there’s one in every corner.
People there really appreciate the Brazilian style.
Or even the pixação (plain spray lettering).
I haven’t seen much illustration there. But there were a few isolated artists.
I did an exhibit there at an art gallery. It was nicely received and
it made me be invited to paint a wall in Washington, Maryland, in the US.
I’ll be painting with other artists there.
This project will be carried by the Afro Brasil Museum, Which is really important for me, since my art deals with ethnic themes.
And I am very happy and anxious to be there in Washington. I hope you guys keep watching us.
Well, I keep a blog at www.soberana.wordpress.com.
I think it’s .com.br, I don’t know. But if you search for “soberana”, you will find it.
Blogging was important for me, for my career.
It made my art reach other media, instead of just be lying there on the walls in Sao Paulo.
It made my art reach Berlin, the US… I got hits even from Canada and elsewhere.
Of course, I am also a heavy user of social media. I think social media is really enpowering to artists.
Because it’s a way for publicizing your work.
It’s a 24-hour assistant telling you all about how many people viewed your work, how many didn’t.
It's also about your reputation: “Hey, I like this!” “I don't like that!”
“Hey, I think you should work with that guy”.
I think that’s really cool. You can get feedback really quickly.
I think the internet makes it easier even to discuss the issues surounding art.
Like the controversy around graffiti and copyrights.
Or other epic debates like what is graffiti and what’s not, what’s technique, and what isn’t.
I believe OsGemeos left that all behind and are now posing new questions.
Anyway, those are controversial themes, and people are willing to further discuss them on the internet.