Odeith – Graffiti Artist Interview

PUREGRAFFITI.Where are you from?
ODEITH. Im from Portugal I was born in a small city Damaia which is situated in the suburbs of Lisbon.

PURE GRAFFITI. What do you write? and is their a story behind that name?
ODEITH. My tag is Odeith.
Its a transformation of the Portuguese word Odeio-te which means I hate you.
In Portuguese sounds almost the same way when you both words.
From 1996 to 2004 was eith in that time I want something that sounds the same as hate
but I don’t want to tag Hate because probably Jim gonad find one hate in each country.
In 2003 I stop painting, I open a big tattoo studio and I couldn’t paint in that time.
The name I gave to my shop was studio Eith.
In 2004 when I start painting again in a lot of city’s in my country I thought that I should not write
Eith anymore, because I don want people judge me and say that Jim just painting to advert my shop.
So I decide to make a mix up with my name Odeith.
Now Jim living in London I realize that the people in English don’t spell it the same way as in Portuguese.
To Odeith sounds the same way as in Portuguese you should try to spell “Odate”

PURE GRAFFITI. How would you describe your style?
ODEITH. I cant describe my style because most of the pieces I make depend how much
alcohol and weed Jim gonad take in that day, I make the background than the outlines. I’m going to lunch, with the food some alcohol than the smoke, and its in when
my brain explode and I start trying to make things that I never seen before.lol
I don like to make Logos I think a lot writers create some kind logos like
the big brands and to me that is like brain wash, you see it so many times till
the day you start to believe that is the best thing in the world.
If you see my letters always got something in common but never have the same shape.
I really hate letter logos.

PURE GRAFFITI. What are your thoughts about the current graffiti scene where you currently live?

ODEITH.
Well that one is good because at this moment Jim living in east London,
In a town called east ham which got nothing to do with graffiti “that make me feel sad!”
But when I go to other places in London I see much more Graf a lot bombing.
I see that London is a very strict city to Graffiti, when you go in the bus or tube
you see stickers in the windows with a phone number for the people call if see someone
tagging or vandalizing. In my country Portugal it nothing like that for every place you go you see
a lot tags and throw ups, there’s no much security as in here.

PURE GRAFFITI. Have you done much or any commercial work, would you be up for it

ODEITH.
Yes I made. But to be honest only for the money, and I do it again if I had.
Sometimes life is not as you want, and if someone want to pay you for a painting why not?
I couldn’t post in blogs or in my web site nothing of that works because I don’t see them as Graffiti.

PURE GRAFFITI. Do you try to keep your identity anonymous?
ODEITH.
No. Because I never made damage with this name.
Well I’ve already made some but not enough to be anonymous.

PURE GRAFFITI. What crew(s) are you in?

ODEITH.
No crews at this moment.

PURE GRAFFITI. What is Graffiti all about to you?
ODEITH.
To me graffiti its something that Jim addicted since 1995.
And I don’t know why!
Why I cant stop looking for the walls to read them or if pass by train line I always look to see
if there’s Graf on the train? I think I never gonad know that.
Because I..ve already went two times to the hospital because of the smoke and panting without mask,
but I still addicted to Graffiti.

PURE GRAFFITI. Do you think Graffiti has reached its limits or do you think amazing new styles will keep
arising?
ODEITH.
I think new styles will be always coming up, always will be someone with new ideas.
To the eyes of the old school people maybe they don’t call it graffiti.
To me, I only consider them graffiti if in the piece are letters.

PURE GRAFFITI. What are some of the writers who have inspired you?

ODEITH.

When I start to paint in my country that is no web or graffiti magazines.
I get inspiration in Portuguese writers as Wize, Obey, Mace…
I remember to see 2 3d pieces in a wall and to me that was something amazing.
The pieces are not classic 3d maybe something more like Wild style but they were painted
without outline what for me was a great effect in that time.
Later I find in a magazine shop a Famous magazine called HHC
I remember to see Mode2, A big train piece “TUFF CITY”, Delta, Stet, Size…Pulse…Lokiss

PURE GRAFFITI. Do you see yourself doing graffiti 10 years from now?

ODEITH.
I don’t know. I don’t know if I gonad live more 10 years.
But if yes, why not still painting with 43 years.

PURE GRAFFITI. Have you have any crazy moments while out painting? Ever been caught?
ODEITH.
I have some moments, its better don’t have cans if I drink.
I was caught a few times back in days I remember in 1993 with markers
but was not graffiti in that time I never had seen graffiti before was just
a few kids with markers painting on a building, the cops didn’t like our art in that
time…not even later on the train lines but never happened nothing to me
One of the times I remember that the police called to my father to go pick me
up at police station, My father’s answer was”he already know how to walk”.

PURE GRAFFITI. How do you feel about train writing?

ODEITH.
I love it! But I don’t know why.

PURE GRAFFITI. Does your family and friends know that you paint, what are their thoughts?
ODEITH.
Yes they always new.
All my friends respect me. And my family think that Jim crazy not because I make graffiti,
but the things I paint,ahahah
Like cockroaches, gutters and people bleeding…but I like to show them cause they look at me.
like, that expression You are crazy.

PURE GRAFFITI. What are your favorite spray paint colors? Favorite Brand Paint?

ODEITH.

My favorite colors are the red, black, white and grays.
Sorry about the brand but Jim not gonad make advert to someone that is already rich.

PURE GRAFFITI. How did you develop such good technical painting and drawing skills? What can the rest of
us do to sharpen our own?

ODEITH.

Until my friends go to the beach, I was painting…
until they stay resting at home, Jim in some ladders painting for love.
If you do something for love you will get what you want.
But is needed a lot dedication

PURE GRAFFITI. What other media do you work in besides spray paint? How do you feel about using
airbrushes?
ODEITH.
I don’t like air brushes I don’t have patience for that.
But I like to see the result when I see something painted with airbrush.
In 2005 I tried oil and brushes and its very good when you are at home and really inspired, but unfortunately
that only works with a glass of red wine.

PURE GRAFFITI. What are your feelings about more experienced writers referring to younger learning writers as
“TOYS”?

ODEITH.
The words King and Toy its something personal you know, like doesn’t matter a lot people can say that someone is a king and to me its not. Or the opposite.
In my opinion its your altitude that is important, not if you paint just 1 year or 10 years.
If I see some good piece I don’t care for how long paint the person who made it.

PURE GRAFFITI. If you could teach or tell the new generation of graffiti writers, what would it be?

ODEITH.

Paint a lot, don’t quit, and don’t forget to use a mask.
PURE GRAFFITI. Is there anything else you would like to add that was not asked in the interview?

ODEITH.
Thanks to Pure Graffiti to invite me for the interview.
The questions are very good.

Odeith 2009

A special thanks to ODEITH for participating in Pure Graffiti!
View ODEITH’s Picture Gallery here on PG.

Short URL: http://puregraffiti.com/art/?p=90

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