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GBAK is a graffiti crew that started back in 2004 in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Fast forward 20 years, and they’re still going strong.

To celebrate this milestone, crew members reunited in Vietnam. Coming together from New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and the US for an unforgettable anniversary.

Vietnam was chosen for its welcoming culture, vibrant atmosphere, and quality painting opportunities – a place several members had enjoyed on previous solo trips.

This video captures the essence of their reunion. Painting, reconnecting, and marking two decades of GBAK.

“Here’s to 20 years of graffiti, friendships, and leaving our mark around the world.”

We spoke to an anonymous member of the crew to get the low-down on the trip. Here’s the transcript to flip.

What inspired the choice of Vietnam as the location for GBAK’s 20th anniversary reunion?

A number of us had been there in the past on separate trips and really enjoyed it. We wanted to bring the majority of the crew all together in a country that’s a lot of fun, with great people and a good place to paint as well.

How did it feel bringing together crew members from across Aotearoa, Australia, Germany, and the US after years apart?

It’s pretty special. I think we all agreed that it was awesome to be there painting, but it was even more fun to just reconnect with a lot of the crew after a number of years of not seeing each other.

What were some of the biggest challenges in coordinating this international reunion?

The biggest challenge for everyone coming together is just fitting in with everyone’s schedules. A lot of us have families now, so that was the challenging factor, but everyone made a huge effort to come together for it.

How has the crew evolved over the 20 years since GBAK started?

Everyone’s style has definitely evolved and [we have] inspired one another to try different things within the crew and meeting people outside of it as well. If anything, there’s definitely been an evolution in a lot of people’s style, but I think we all go back to strong letter formations and big bold styles.

Were there any particularly memorable walls or locations you painted during the Vietnam trip?

The most memorable parts of the trip and the painting side was, again, just collaborating and doing team-ups and all of us jumping in on painting the crew name together again.

How did the local Vietnamese graffiti artists interact with your crew?

It was great to meet a few of the local guys. They’re really accommodating and a lot of fun to hang out with. It was good to get an idea about more of the scene there and just the culture and everything involved.

What moments during the trip best captured the spirit of GBAK as a crew?

Moments that captured the essence of the trip were just hanging out and reliving stories or experiences together. More so just spending time with each other again.

What’s the significance of the name GBAK, and how does it reflect the crew’s identity after 20 years?

Originally two crews coming together was a big part of it, but I don’t think any of us see it like that anymore. It’s definitely just four letters together that itself is just a much stronger name, stronger meaning.

It means a lot to everyone in the crew.

Looking ahead to the future, where do you see GBAK heading?

I think we’ll just try to stay as active as we can, as life always changes and evolves with different challenges and exciting things happening.

We’ll still paint to an extent, and the crew will probably grow. We’d always like to bring new energy into the crew. For us it’s always about who we connect with and if they’re a right fit. It’s more so about the friendships than anything. Finding the right people to carry on the name.