Italian graffiti artist Boxe started painting graffiti since 1999. Influenced by local styles and European trends from that period, he was fascinated by the idea of interracial graffiti in the mid '90s and early 2000.

In 2005, he started travelling around Europe, painting graffiti. Now, he has already travelled to 85 countries across the globe, and painted in 81 countries. His current art style, he says, is the amalgamation of the 90s and the street art he sees in the countries he has travelled. He has also left one of his pieces on one of the walls in Thahity, Kathmandu.

The Post talked to Boxe, who is currently in Nepal, about his inspiration and his experience in Nepal. Excerpts:

How would you define art?

I do not consider myself an artist. I know I’m painting graffitis and it is connected to painting and art, but I don’t consider my work as an art. I consider it an expression—my expression of how I see things. So defining art is difficult.

The important thing is the effort, patience and love you put into it. That makes an art. To me, art is something I think about before going to bed and is on my mind when I wake up. It’s something close to my heart.

How did you get into graffiti painting?

I don’t have any profound backstory like other artists. I come from a very small village and have loved painting since I was a child. But when I was in my early teens, like everyone else, I wanted to date girls. But I didn’t know how to be the cool guy.

But when I started painting, that really turned my reputation around. So you can say, that was my motivation in the beginning. But later, I met many people who loved painting and continued my pursuit. Now, travelling to different countries keeps me motivated.

How has street art or graffiti changed since you started?

Earlier, graffiti was very stigmatised to the point that it was deemed a criminal act. This is one of the reasons I still refrain from publishing my pictures or even talk about my work as much as possible. But nowadays, things are different. People are more open to it. Artists get invitations to paint at banks or other institutions, which is something I had never thought would happen.

Even my mother, who is in her late 60s, knows what street art is. It is growing globally. I have even done graffiti in the countries where I never thought I would be allowed to paint.

Do you think street art has become mainstream? What does it mean for a subculture that started as anti-establishment?

It has definitely become mainstream. In my day job, I am a product manager, and my company asked me to paint graffiti for them. More companies have started to involve graffiti and street art in their promotional campaigns. Recently, Volkswagen got a massive street art done by Nychos in Amsterdam.

In the US, they even organise huge street art festivals, where artists like Nicki Minaj sing on stage while artists paint in the background. The competition is insane. It’s just for money in the US.

I too own a Banksy piece, which will sell for thousands of dollars. Although I am never going to sell that, you get an idea of how capitalism has affected street art.

What do you think travelling has taught you?

It has helped me learn many things. It has also made me a better artist and a person. Growing up in a small village, you don’t do much. You live in a bubble of sorts. But travelling has burst that bubble. Travelling around Asia has taught me about diverse religions and cultures, while Europe has taught me about the Cyrillic alphabet. All of these, I try to incorporate in my graffiti.

Initially, it was just an excuse to travel and meet new people, meet locals and learn new cultures. It is like tasting a new dish—you end up liking something and disliking others, but the experience stays with you forever.

What do you think about street art in Nepal?

I’ve seen some. I feel it’s good. I’ve seen a lot made by foreigners in Thamel and some done by locals in Patan, which I feel is interesting.

But I think there lacks a connection. I saw a painting by a popular street artist from London, in Thamel. It was probably one of the last pieces he did. I saw tags of artists from Germany and France too, but the thing is, they just buy some cans and paint it. There isn't a connection with the local art scene here. If these guys get in touch with locals and paint, I feel it would be better.

Do you incorporate your heritage or culture in your paintings?

Not really. I try to do the opposite. I like leaving something new on the walls of the countries I visit. The traditional way of doing graffiti is leaving your mark. It’s like a logo. But I believe people should be able to recognise your style even before looking at your signature.

When people see my piece, they’ll know it’s done by me. But what I do try is use local items so that everyone can see that it can be done with the items available in the city.