The Railside Street Files: SUFER FGA — Graffiti Artist Interview

Hey bro, what do you write and what’s the background around your name?

Sufer, started off just Sufr but added the E a few years later. Just a random word that stuck at school. Was going to write another name back then but that name just stuck with the bros so just kept it.

   Can you remember what first made graffiti catch your eye and when did it all start for you?

Everyone was writing at school around 06, so was pretty natural to jump on board. Bebo was another big thing back in the days aswell. And Tenz was already well established, doing pieces and hip hop characters back then.

     What city did you grow up in and what kind of graffiti were you seeing early on?

      Grew up in Vegas, Alot of throw ups, roll calls, stomps, productions,pieces and hip-hop characters. All from people from or living in vegas.

  Who were the names or crews you remember being active around Rotorua when you first started paying attention?

Tag Bomb Destroy, Forever Graff Addicts, pretty much those crews.   DNS, FKF, DF,  And writers TENZ,TEASR,MELO,DFEKT,SLAE,ENVY,ANTE,AKLO,SAKT, RAS,CERO,GOSEP,DFYRE,ANSO,CLSFY,SAKO,SWIF,DPENZ,DLER,DZAY,MEKO,RANKS,TRIGR,2FIX,SKIMO,TURF,LARF,JINX,HERT. Probably more names aswell. And a handful of auckland writers that I seen on bebo. Mainly fasko.

      What do you find yourself chasing the most these days — tags, throw-ups, pieces, walls, bombing, freights, style, or just a bit of everything?

   ATM, Probably illegal pieces and just illegal work in general, Trying to influence some younger bros hopefully.

  Who were the writers, crews, older heads, or styles that made you want to push harder when you were coming up?

 Teasr. First person I really linked with earlier on and started to piece, And Tenz. Slae Ante Envy, Me and Anso were always teamed up together tagging back when we were young, And Me and KidC later on did alot of solid mahi together.

   When you’re painting, what are you trying to get right first — the letters, the flow, the colours, the spot, or the overall impact?

    Letters.

   What makes you look at a spot and think, “yeah, that needs something on it”?

 Il write on anything pretty much, but atm im chasing fresh illegal walls, tunnels, drains. High traffic spots. Longevity spots.

   Have you got a chase story, close call, or funny moment from over the years that still sticks with you?

Been caught quite a few times. Chased heaps of times. Most memorable moment was getting into FGA, had been chasing that since I was really young back around 08 09 when the crew started. Got in I think 2016 or 17.

   What do you want to see more of in the Rotorua scene, and who do you want to shout out?

More young bros from vegas painting really.  Shout out to the FGA crew, Shout out to Vegas, Shout out to all the people I’ve met along the way. Shout to all the young bros putting in the mahi around NZ.

Forever Tenz , Long Live Past.

Big shout out to Sufer thanks for joining us in this episode, Some fresh pieces!

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