Graffiti artist comes clean
IF YOU notice #I See You appear on a wall near you, the message is to get creative.
The hashtag is part of a campaign that Durban graffiti artist Damn Vandal (real name Shaun Oakley) is spreading across the city.
Damn Vandal’s art is well known around the city, including his murals on Florida Road and in uMhlanga.
Oakley, 29, said he joined the #I See You countrywide campaign to share his passion for graffiti and to bring creative people “out of the dark and into the light”.
“This campaign is about encouraging and recognising young artists and creatives,” he said.
Oakley started his career in graffiti when he was a 15-year-old skateboarder.
“The skateboard scene and graffiti are linked. I completed a degree in visual communications and am now a senior designer for an apparel company, but also have my own graffiti company,” he said.
And his work is sought after: apart from art on walls, he has also worked on cars, bikes, food trailers, surfboards, bike helmets and clothing. He was also the artist commissioned to paint Top Gear’s Lamborghini and has done a number of custom designs for cars.
“I used to only do lettering, but I spent two years in London and started to expand my work after that. The graffiti scene is blowing up, with lots of commissioned work and, overseas, governments are organising events because the art on big walls attracts tourists.”
According to Oakley, graffiti is no longer about a suspicious-looking character in a hoodie armed with a can of spray paint.
“In the world of graffiti there are sub-categories, from vandalism which is illegal and known as bombing, to lettering and stencilling, street art such as Banksy, mosaic and tiling, to reverse graffiti which is about cleaning and beautifying neglected surfaces.
“Durban has different graffiti styles and the artists know each other. Instagram has also opened up graffiti as artists across the world follow each other’s work.”
Oakley said he started graffiti with the mindset “getting fame for your own name”, but this changed with the birth of his daughter, who is now two.
“I would like her to grow up in a world that is vibrant with colour and not grey concrete.
“I want to create art that people can relate to and can see on their journey through every day life. I would like to inspire people or just make them smile and feel more positive,” he said.
For the #I See You campaign, he and a friend completed 15 artworks in one day, hitting all the busy spots around Durban.