Photo by @Fire_Isis
A self proclaimed mad artist, he can be found painting well into the wee morning hours on any given day. Sprung from O’ahu, bred by the ‘aina, schooled by California’s graffiti movement and seasoned by time, graffiti veteran, Estria has lived enough life and emptied sufficient spray paint cans to know how to make his mark; and it’s more than just colors and ideas… he’s also created stories and has impacted lives. His nationally known and celebrated Estria Battle has allowed lesser known artists access to audiences and attention that otherwise would take years to acquire. These annual battles give artists something consistent to look forward to, if they have the brevity to enter and also lets the surrounding community acquaint itself with an age-old artform that continuously gets a bad rap.
It’s been decades since Estria was a college kid and up until present day, he’s gone from learning the ropes with California cats to making a name for himself, painting scenes oversees and serving his community, “I was in the mainland for college and I thought ‘What’s this graffiti shit?’” When asked how he got from altering street cars in Cali to being invited to Europe to paint, he sarcastically responded, “I just hopped on a plane…they have paint over there, too.” But in all seriousness, it is because of his passion and success that he wishes to provide the same opportunity to other artists and never opposes an artist ”making it big” off their craft. Though he does have his perimeters, “If a company like Coca-Cola came to me I wouldn’t do it,” he says, “But that also depends on what they want me to do and how much money we’re talking,” he continues, “Because with that money I can invest that and expand my own cause.”
Photo by @Fire_Isis
“If an artist is really making money off of his art, then go for it,” Estria continues on the subject, “I mean, no one is going to do anything for free,” he says, “You’re not going to be able to take care of your family and your wife is going to leave you.”
While backstreets are the landscape that house these proud monuments erected of spray paint, sweat and bricks, an artist is an artist whether he garners profit for his craft or not. And every artist is a bit mad; dedicating his life to craft that has no guarantee to be lucrative. But with art there is always a method behind the madness and a history behind the methods.
