At the turn of a small tour in Europe, if passing by Kiev, in Ukraine, you come across a rather particular style of letters: pixel writing, do not be surprised too much, and take the time to count the small squares of Shabe’s painting.
Hi Shabe, you write since 2003 et you have 32 years, can you tell us why chose this name?
Hi, well, if you read in our language, from right to left, it means something like « let’s do it » Ebash Ебаш
Did you draw before?
Only graffiti.
Did you study art in school?
Studied as a manager. But now I ‘m a teacher of calligraphy at the school of art.
What is your inspiration for your letters?
I like the way the brush pen writes, and my fonts are based on calligraphy, plus I like the 8-bit game, and I have the Dandy game console, probably a lot of inspires me from there.
Where does this way of making letters come from as if it does not have a lot of pixels or if they were tiled?
I was looking for something new, I like to make the volume of letters without an outline, they look interesting in some way, and then I tried to make the outline pixels. Now I like to do a gradient fill from a pixel.
How you can define your style?
Pixel Lettering.
They are many people who make letters like this?
Sometimes I see fonts and flops with pixel outlines, but lettering didn’t see.
What are you looking for when you create letters?
When I create letters the most helps me draw more on paper. As I use calligraphy in my work, I have to draw every day.
What are the good letters for you?
Well, good letters are all letters. I generally love letters and creative fonts. There are certainly complex letters, there are complex compounds. Shabe like letters I really like.
Do you think the letters have specificities to Kiev, or Ukraine or everything has been diluted in a great international style?
It’s difficult to connect our country with some kind of style, probably now everything will develop due to the Internet. Probably like everywhere you can find super interesting styles or a toy.
Why want to change the urban space with letters?
The letters create the life of the city, their activity, and growth dynamics. And when you get into a city where it is not there, the feeling that no one lives there.
If the artwork creates a world and life imitates art more than art imitates life, what kind of world you want your painting impulse?
The question is unrealistic in this case, it is worth choosing the side in which you don’t fall within the framework of imitation of life, you want to be outside of imitation.
Do you think it is like one chromotherapy for the city where the dominant is monochrome light?
In our city, for about 6 months, the sky is obscured by gray clouds and expensive, which they never washed, of the exact same color but against the background of buildings built in the Soviet Union. The color very much affects the state of people, and when you create a new piece, people in this place begin to behave differently, and most often it’s positive.
Do you think that writing only modifies the space or the mentality of people, and how does it modify it?
Pieces definitely change the space and of course, people who are often among this will change for the better.
Do you have some anecdotes?
Once I painted a wall in Turkey at night, and when I came for me a local resident ran in. And he began to show with gestures that he wants to have sex with me I refused him and began to draw a Piece. After which he became waxed of my piece and lowered his pants and leaned over I left and finished the next day afternoon.
Do you have a word for the end?
The most important thing is that there is a connection between the people who draw, and you can find connections in any country in the world. If you draw it is not unimportant to travel the world. And you should always respect other artists and their work.
Follow Shabe in Instagram: Shabe
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