Zoia is a French graffiti writer whose journey began humbly as she navigated a tough street life and managed to alchemize it into a positive expression for herself: graffiti, art, friendships and purpose. Her work is incredibly strong as is her mindset, we spoke with her a bit about her background and views:
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◼️1. Was there art in your life before graffiti?
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Yes, my dad sometimes drew cool stuff, and my mom wrote stories for kids at school (writing is art too and creating imagination in a kid's mind) I was the kid doing drawings instead of working in class!
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◼️2. What has been your favorite piece of feedback from people coming across your work in the wild?
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Sometimes I like it when people don't understand what graffiti is and instead of seeing actual letters, they need to imagine something else objectively, something they can refer to like; is this a dragon? Or anything else that their brain can tolerate other than the letters they don't like just because of the colors or the shape of the piece. That to me is fun and inspiring.
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◼️3. What got you into graffiti?
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I was always hanging out in graffiti fields; I sold drugs there and saw graffiti there. I had to stop doing this unhealthy job, so I started to paint because it was one of the only things that I knew at the time, as I progressed, I grew to love it.
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◼️4. Are there any tools or art supplies you wish you had or knew about in the beginning?
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No, I work with my mind, the tools can be anything.
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◼️5. On your bad days, how do you stay motivated? Are there places, sports, books, movies, meditations, places or other artists that help you stay inspired?
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Mostly music, and places, like the graffiti shop in my town, I hang out there, it's a very important place to me, and the people there are too.
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◼️6. Advice for beginners?
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Don't listen to the advice of old timers until you know they deserve your attention.
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To learn more about Zoia or to commission for a piece you can visit her Instagram: @ZoiaZine
