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In Brisbane, the presence of EEKAS can be felt from the depths of the city’s veins to the heights of the monolithic structures reaching into the clouds above.

Just as the Brisbane River has forged its way through the city’s crust, EEKAS has woven his name into the tapestry of the entire city. Five simple letters visible everywhere, on everything.

To celebrate the release of our latest t-shirt drop designed by EEKAS, we linked with the artist to lock down some perspective.

*The Artillery x EEKAS tee is a timed release. Available now until Monday 15 September (10am AEST) – then it’s gone for good. Get yours here

Interview by Luke Shirlaw and Liv Bridge for Artillery. Photography courtesy of the artist.

ARTILLERY: Do you see your graffiti as an extension of yourself, or as something that belongs to the city once it’s out there?

EEKAS: I would say both. First, it’s an idea, and then it gets transferred onto a surface, which becomes a part of that city. Which would probably then be recycled/ inspired by someone else, and the cycle continues.

A: What does ‘getting up’ mean to you today compared to when you first started?

E: It’s the same thing, just a little less available. Life seems to get busier, and there’s less time to do anything outside of that. So it’s an escape from it all. It’s like therapy. It helps me to keep sane. It keeps life exciting.

A: How do you navigate the tension between legality, illegality, and the commercialisation of graffiti culture?

E: Graffiti can be approached in different ways; there’s no right or wrong, it’s just however it works best for that individual. I’m more interested in the ‘illegal’ side of it, painting spots without permission. Just doing it at my own free will, with no one telling me how to do it.

Having fun and painting basic graffiti letters in different spots. Not thinking too much about it, just getting outside and keeping physically and mentally active.

A: What impact does time have on your work? Do you prefer pieces done with speed/ under time pressure? Do you feel it loses or gains something when a piece is more laboured?

E: I love seeing a well-executed piece, full colour, with characters and whatever, but I don’t have the care and time to do that. Life is busy as it is. I don’t really want to have to think about it too much. I like the idea of just grabbing a few different random colours together and going out and doing something easy. I find it way more enjoyable. That way, there is no time limit either. I can just do something with two colours and it works fine. At least in my mind. A lot of people would probably disagree.

A: What makes a good spot, and what considerations do you make when deciding what to paint?

E: The best spots are something that looks really difficult to get to and is painted with minimal colours.

A: What is the most pain you’ve ever felt?

E: A first break-up or breaking my arm, ha. Not sure if you mean painting or in general. If it were painting-related, it would be missing a photo of something I was really looking forward to seeing.

A: Where is your favourite place on this earth?

E: Most of Australia is pretty good. There are so many places in the world that are good. Not that I’ve seen heaps of it, but I get the idea of what’s out there after travelling a little bit. At the end of the day, I’ve got to enjoy where I live and this place isn’t that bad. The weather’s good, and if you do your own thing, it’s fine.

A: I saw you write ‘No Style. No Problem’ next to a piece. Tell me about your style and what influences its simplicity?

E: I’ve tried doing various styles and have never been able to master that traditional ‘Hip Hop’ graff lettering, so I just stick to basic letters. I might bend a letter here and there, or add an extra bar off the end of a letter to add some funk. It’s way more fun and comes more naturally to me. So yeah, no style, no problem!

A: I commented ’No Style, No Problem’ on an IG post, and it started an interesting dialogue. From “style is overrated”, to the process of painting being more important than the outcome, non-conformity, and minimalism; “Style isn’t just about what you do, it’s also about what you don’t do”. I’d love to get your further thoughts on this.

E: Yeah, I agree with the minimalism thing, I think Rick Rubin said something like, once you’re unable to take away anything else, then you know it’s done – or something like this. Just getting rid of as much clutter as possible is the way to go, and then sometimes you can get a bit decorative with it, if you’re feeling up to it.

[“There’s a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across.” –Rick Rubin]

E: As well, I think doing weird wacky shit or stuff that is even considered ‘toy’, but original, is more exciting to me. The graff that is the blueprint from New York, or the newer abstract cutback sharp detail stuff, is great when it’s done well, but I’m unable, so I just stick to my own lane.

A: When you’re lurking in places that you’re not supposed to be, it’s possible that you come across some interesting characters or sketchy situations. What’s something memorable that’s happened to you while painting?

E: Twice, I’ve turned up to a spot to paint, and I got arrested because someone had just painted before me. I had paint with me both times, and the paint cans were brand new. One spot was a back jump in Oslo, and the other was an abandoned servo on the Gold Coast. Funnily enough, I got off both times through the court process because my genuine expression of not committing the crimes convinced them that I wasn’t the one who had painted.

Other than that, usually it’s just some street fight you see from afar, or workers doing weird shit because they don’t know you’re watching them. Nothing crazy comes to mind, but I usually remember good stories days after I think about them. I’m usually being pretty sneaky as well, so I try to avoid conflict as much as I can when I’m out. There are times when I’m a metre away from someone, and they don’t even know I’m right there, and they will carry on.

A: Do you see yourself still painting in 20 years, or do you think graffiti has a natural lifespan for you?

E: Unfortunately, I think I will still be painting. If I were going to stop, I think I would have stopped by now. I’m hoping I get into fishing, or something, one day, and that becomes the new exciting thing for me. For now, it’s painting.

⛈️ ARTILLERY x EEKAS tee is available now. Be quick, this timed release ends Monday 15 September, 10am AEST. Don’t miss out. Get yours here.