Akit - Graffiti Artist Interview

November 2008

In depth interview with Akit, an old school UK female graffiti artist who is a member of the GOT Crew and DDS Crew.

How old are you?

33.

Where are you based?

London.

How long have you been painting / writing?

On and off since 1990.

How did you get into graffiti and what made you start painting?

I'm 15 years old and the year is 1990. It was a balmy Autumn Tuesday night, I know it was a Tuesday as I would otherwise have been watching Twin Peaks but instead I was sitting under the Westway in West London getting high. I'm in the company of my best friend Nan, her brother (a writer who writes 'Bored') and Nan's boyfriend who writes 'Sober'.

We're just hangin out, killing time, catching joke, sitting about puffing zoots. Actually we're playing 'hit and run' where you inhale the spliff, pass the spliff on and don't exhale until the spliff gets passed back to you… aah heady halcyon days. Now I knew these boys I was with were writers, I had heard all their exploits, seen their fliks and peicebooks etc, and I liked graffiti alright, but I hadn't really ever spared much thought to the whole notion of graffiti itself.

After a while 'Bored' gets up, produces an Edding 750 and proceeds to tag a pillar of the Westway. It seems silly in a way but I saw something I'd never seen before; someone actually executing a tag, right in front of me! Although like I say I knew graffiti and understood it, it never occurred to me just how simple and easy it was and how instantaneous was the action of just writing your name on any given surface. There it was, instant art… you could just bomb, write, draw, whatever - right there! Anywhere in fact!! It was so appealing and I couldn't believe it hadn't occurred to me before that I could do this, or would even want to do this. It sounds well cheesey but it was like an ephiphany, a life changing moment, the air was buzzing (maybe it was just me ! ha ha!) but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my life was going to be completely different from that precise moment on.

And so it was. I went home that night and started developing a tag - 'Best', ironically enough, which of course was not the best and was in fact quite rubbish… but I doodled, bombed, tried to get better, watched the films and read the books etc. A year or so later 'Akit' was born to replace 'Best' and the rest, as they say, is history!

Where did you paint your first piece?

I did a Cheech Wizard on a mate's bedroom wall in CarPlan paint, thank god it was on his wall and no-one else got to see it because it was properly shite.

I did a good few dubs before doing a piece but I'm shocked to say that I don't actually remember where I executed my first piece… I it must have been Tufnell Park Hall Of Fame but I'm really not sure. It was probably so bad that I've erased it from my memory… or the drugs have! Ha ha!

How would you describe your style?

Very simple and very girly.

How did you choose the name Akit?

It's a secret… but those who know me will know where Akit comes from.

Do you write under any other names?

Nope.

Do you write with any crews and if so which ones?

• DDS Crew (Diabolical Dubstars)
• GOT Crew (Girls On Top)

GOT Crew (Girls On Top) is UK's the first all female graffiti crew, how did you all meet and begin painting together?

The delightful Chock got in contact with me after we were both featured in the "Graffiti Woman" publication. She asked if I would like to paint at a GOT jam in Stockwell in 2007, and subsequently asked if I would like to represent GOT.

Have you done many collaborations with artists overseas or travelled abroad for your art and if so then where is the most exciting or interesting place you have painted?

Done sod all like that. 2008 is the first time I've travelled anywhere specifically to do graf, The GOT Crew was invited to paint at the "Cats and Dogs" jam in Berlin and the "Meeting of Styles" jam in Venice.

The "Meeting of Styles" jam was an amazing experience. It was a real eye-opener; in that I hadn't painted on that scale (event wise) with that many writers, all of whom were so bloody talented. It really was an honour to be there and everyone was lovely, I was gutted to come home!

Many, many years ago… in about '95 I did a piece with some writers in Spain but I was on holiday. If anyone's got that pic - please give us a shout yeah! I'd be most grateful if I could obtain a copy.

I never got into graffiti because it was some kind of an art form, it was purely for the criminal element!

Akit

Have you done much commercial work and if so what would you say was your most well known piece?

Nah… ain't done much commercial work. I don't think anything of mine really stands out.

I did an illustration for a flyer for "Eternity" rave magazine in about 92-93. It was just a flyer for the magazine subscription but it crops up every now and again as there were about 20,000 printed and the design was fresh, even if I say so myself.

Has graffiti become a full-time career for you now and if so was it a long journey to get to this stage?

I want illustration to be my full time career and if that involves some spray cans then great but the heady days of vandalism are over. I'd like my graffiti to draw attention to my design work. I don't run around on train tracks anymore thus my graffiti career is long over. It's all or nothing, so I'd rather nothing. If I do do graffiti it's merely for the sheer pleasure of it and not as a career move. There are way better writers out there than me.

I think I'm just known as a UK female Graffer from yester-year! (not the first female UK Graffer, as stated in "Graffiti Woman"). I dabble with spray cans still, that is all. I never got into graffiti because it was some kind of an art form, it was purely for the criminal element!

Is there any one point in your career you would class as 'your big break'?

Ha ha ha ha ha!! Errm… no.

You have had your work published in the books "Graffiti Woman" and "The Graffiti Subculture", how did you get to be included in these two publications?

Other writers kindly passed on my details to the "Graffiti Woman" and "The Graffiti Subculture" author/publisher respectively. I was interviewed by Nancy McDonald for her book "The Graffiti Subculture". For "Graffiti Woman" I had a lot of interaction with Thames and Hudson (the publishers) regarding my page, what was included and the text etc… it was a very interesting process.

What do you see as your greatest achievement to date?

Being in those books was pretty great.

How was your experience breaking into and becoming successful as a female graffiti writer in a mainly male dominated scene?

Oh god, it's all too much to mention. It was tough but it's impossible to be objective 18 years on. Everything is completely different now. There are writers of whom I was in awe of years ago, maybe even intimidated by and now they are truly great friends.

See my comments in "The Graffiti Subculture" for more answers, I was interviewed when at my most prolific and seemed to have a lot to moan about then, ha ha! I can't remember any of the negative stuff now, or even care to. I really do look back on it all with rose-tinted glasses.

What advice would you give to other up and coming female graffiti writers and artists out there?

Don't give a flying fuck about what anyone else thinks and keep your house clean (that's not in some sexist 'domestic goddess' sense, just keep it free of potential evidence, but that applies to any vandals of either sex).

What are your thoughts on graffiti being just a likely to be found in a gallery as on the streets these days?

Oh Jesus… it's really not my cup of tea to be honest. I know I've had work in galleries but it just doesn't sit too comfortably with me regarding graffiti specifically. I'm an old-fashioned graffer (as much as a graffer can be old-fashioned - ha! it's like an oxymoron!) but as I mentioned earlier I fell in love with graffiti because of the vandalism aspect and not cos it looked pretty on someone's wall.

When you take graffiti out of context it becomes something else, the truly beautiful thing about graffiti is that it's not supposed to be there… that's the whole point!

Akit

When you take graffiti out of context it becomes something else, the truly beautiful thing about graffiti is that it's not supposed to be there… that's the whole point!

It's the graffiti style that is popular in galleries etc and what that style and it's connotations represent to the average person. It means something completely different to most writers, that's why we also tag and not just piece and tags are despised by most 'ordinary' people, but they fucking love pieces. I think I may like bombing, throw-ups and tags more than pieces, but that's just me.

Ahhh… it's fine, it's the way it's all going hey! Everyone goes on about the 'good ole days' and all that shit, for want of sounding like some fuddy duddy old writer - so I'm just gonna say "Yeah it's great, bring it on!". Adapt or die.

I went to Bonhams auction house the other week for the preview night of a 'Street Art' sale, which was just surreal. I found the whole thing incredibly hypocritical as it's really all about the money… a lot of it was shit and obviously not worth the cardboard it was sprayed on, despite price tags stating the contrary. Obviously Banksy's got a lot to answer for but it's not all his fault, I kind of feel sorry for him as he has an agenda with which he is trying to draw attention to real issues and people just look at his stuff and think 'ker-ching'… they just see dollar signs rather than heed the message he may be trying to convey. He's created a bit of a monster.

You have had your work displayed in galleries, is there any one exhibition that stands out from all the rest?

No.

There seems to have been a sudden surge of interest in graffiti and street art recently, why do you think this is?

The moment I saw Louis Vuitton bags a few years ago with graffiti style lettering on them I felt sick and I knew it was all over.

Akit

Companies and businesses adopt and exploit 'street' imagery to tap into the 'yoof' market to sell their overpriced shite. Over the years I've noticed more and more marketing towards the 'yoof dem' with 'urban' style this, that, and the other. It's a cheap shot. The moment I saw Louis Vuitton bags a few years ago with graffiti style lettering on them I felt sick and I knew it was all over.

I take major umbrage with branding companies and media luvvies hijacking graffiti style. For example the heinous London Olympics 2012 logo is designed to reflect London's 'urban' feel, with an obvious nod to graf, but it's a slur on graffiti as far as I'm concerned. I'm pretty sure it was not designed by a writer. The London authorities have made it clear they despise graf, what with zero-tolerance and all that. Every trackside is 'browned out', there are no proper parks to paint in and the custodial sentences handed out to graffers are absurd… but when it suits the authorities or established companies they'll use the graffiti and street style to convey a message to the yoof. It drives me mad to be honest, it's just so fucking lazy and in many instances; beyond hypocrisy.

I suppose I'm a tad bitter as when you are part of an underground 'clique' or group that is inherently anti-establishment, the last thing you want is to see some sloaner bussin a graffiti tag style handbag… especially as said handbag owner wouldn't know a good tag if it jumped up and slapped in her in face! It's just been hijacked by those who require a shortcut to 'cool'. The same applies to hip-hop and has done for some time.

Even though graffiti seems to have been more widely accepted there still appears to be a very fine line between those who see graffiti as art and those who see it as vandalism, what are your views on this?

I couldn't do graffiti just for money or just in piece parks, it's kinda dull unless you are doing illegally - for me anyway.

Akit

Bloody well should be vandalism as far as I'm concerned!! Very fine line? Dunno about that love, there's a big fat fucking line between the two as far as I'm concerned. Being allowed to do graffiti is completely and utterly fundamentally different to doing it illegally, I know which I prefer and that's partly why I 'retired' as I wasn't prepared to devote all my time to it anymore and potentially lose my freedom… so I stopped completely. I couldn't do graffiti just for money or just in piece parks, it's kinda dull unless you are doing illegally - for me anyway. I'd rather do 'normal' art for money. As I stated earlier it was really all or nothing. I only started piecing again as Chock got in contact with me and it was an opportunity to paint with other females, which was absolutely no different to painting with males as it turns out.

Anyway, I love (and miss) the vandalism aspect of it. These fuckers who rock up to paint shop and buy their 'made for graf' spray paint with specialist nozzles, do a pretty little wall piece and post it up on Myspace are kidding themselves if they think they are proper graffiti writers.

Sorry, I've gone off on a tangent. Who knows what 'Art' is? Some fucker screwed up a bit of paper and called it Art, so who am I say?

Do you prefer doing legal or illegal pieces?

Ha! see above!! Painting legally is fine but I may as well be using pastels or acrylics, it's just like doing any other art work. I do like piecing with mates in a Hall Of Fame as you can chill out and have a beer and stuff but it's just not terribly thrilling, whereas the thrill of painting in an illegal situation is the best bit!

Have you ever 'felt the long arm of the law' because of your art?

Hardly… I've been stopped by old bill and what not. I know that being female definitely helped me out of some scrapes with the police etc as it was unfathomable to them that I would be the perpetrator of such a crime.

I got nicked for shop-lifting a can of Japlac, even then I told them it was for an art project they never suspected that I had another motive.

I remember a train driver pulling into a platform that I was 'decorating' shall we say, and I was trying (unsuccessfully) to hide in an alcove. This poor driver was so concerned as to my welfare… giving it "you alright love?" thinking, of course, that I was hiding from someone else, or that I was homeless or something. I had to convince him that I was fine and I just liked hanging around station platforms at 4 in the morning. Bless him! All I could think was 'these tins are really uncomfortable stuffed down my trousers, now fuvk off so I can finish my vandalism'. The fact that I was standing right next to my unfinished 'artwork' still didn't alert him to the fact that I had done it!

Do you try to keep your identity anonymous where possible?

Not anymore, alas I've nothing to hide, but I don't go out of my way to reveal my true self either.

Do you see yourself as an artist or a graffiti writer?

I've always been an artist and I used to be a graffiti writer.

Which other artists work do you admire?

Graffiti wise - Anyone who has style, got up and rocked it.

Frank Frazetta and Vaughn Bode for graffiti characters obviously.

If you're talking 'normal art' then it's:

• Pre-Raphaelite art
• Turner
• Matisse
• 20th Century poster art
• Gil Elvgren's pin-ups

Norman Rockwell is the fucking man Illustration wise.

Which other graffiti artists would you most like to work with if given the chance?

Urmmm… none. That sounds shitty no? Well I can't think of anyone.

I'm sad that I didn't really know any other girl writers when I was doing graf, they were usually the girlfriend of a writer etc… it would have been nice to paint with another bird and go on missions. If I had met Chock back then I can only imagine the havoc we would have caused, we would have killed it!

What is your preferred medium for making marks with?

Spray cans and markers, but NOT markers on pieces though… unlike some people… you know who you are.

Do you have a favourite piece of all time?

Nah… well, not by me anyway.

What kind of music are you into?

• hip-hop
• rare groove
• soul
• old skool hardcore

What is the last album you bought?

Shit, I don't think I've ever even bought an album! I download bits every now and again and the last tune I downloaded was Dizzie Rascal's "Dance Wiv Me"… "Wassup darling!"

What are you working on currently and what plans do you have for the future?

I'm working at establishing myself as an illustrator. My future plans are to be able to pay the rent each month. Simple tings.

Anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for asking me these questions, I've enjoyed answering them - as you can probably tell.

For further information about Akit please visit:

Akit Profile

Akit Website

Buy artwork by Akit on PimpArtworks

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