When you walk past Pumpestationen Fritidscenter at Præstøgade, you will see some street art made by ‘Welin’. Little Reporter Dwaj met him and made an interview.
I have been curious since several months about this art form and recently got an exciting opportunity to meet the artist behind it. Andreas, his real name, is known as ‘Welin’ the Street Artist. Welin brings with him years of experience from Denmark, other European countries, Australia, and USA. Here is the snippet of our conversation:
What inspired you to become a street artist?
I started back in high school, where I got connected with a friend who helped me get some walls to paint using spray cans. I loved it and I practiced a lot. Soon I started to get walls from the Kommune. I also painted tunnels. I think its fun to paint and I also get the opportunity to talk to people on the streets.
Is this a career or hobby for you?
It is my career; I have been earning a living from it.
How many years have you been a street artist for?
It’s been almost 8 years now, but I can say that I have painted for my whole life. It takes many hours of practice to do what I can do now.
What is the idea behind your current art?
The current art work that you see is about an upcoming hip hop artist group ‘Ravi Kuma’. They are professionals, making rap music and I enjoy their work. I promised them I would dedicate a piece of street art to them. The rings are going to say Ravi Kuma. The Lady that sings, she has a lot of jewelry and her signature colors are red and blue. This is her portrait with rings on her hands. I made her face distorted so it gives an impression that the music is tearing her apart.
How often do you change the picture on this wall?
A painting could stay for a minimum of two weeks, or it can stay as long as a year. It all depends on our mood, the flow of new ideas and the possibility to go outside and paint.
How often do you paint?
We paint different walls though there are not many places to paint in Copenhagen. This wall is one of the walls we have permission to paint on.
Do you work as a group?
We have no specific group but we are around 20-25 street artists in Copenhagen. We work together in pairs or small groups. We have a studio where we are 8 of us painting on canvases there.
How do you select an idea to make?
Everything inspires me. Let’s say I find a person interesting or a movie scene that is thrilling. I usually try to take inspiration around me and then add my ideas into it. This makes the art work one of its kind and immensely satisfying for me.
What is your favorite piece of art that you have created till date?
I have created around 500 street art pieces in my 7-8 years career. It is really hard to pick one that’s the best. I try to put forward my best work, each time I paint; I try to be a perfectionist. I can reflect on one piece of art with images of Donald Trump comparing with Teletubbies, which I created here before this one.
What advice would you give to others, who are interested to create Street Art?
It will be wonderful to have more people take up Street Art and create fresh art pieces. All I would say to them is “to practice a lot and be patient. It is important to believe in oneself and your work.” I urge all inspiring artists to be confident about their work and not to look into other creations and feel discouraged.
Thank you Welin! It is indeed an amazing opportunity to learn about Street Art and your passion. Little Reporters wish you all the success with many more exciting projects and creative masterpieces.
LITTLE REPORTER
Little Reporter is a creative writing program for children to master the art of content writing using the practical tools of Journalism. In this program, children get opportunities to work around concepts of filming, interviewing, critical thinking, safety on social media and much more. The program aims to motivate children to write with a purpose, build on their research skills and to be critical thinkers. Exploring the concept of Citizen Journalism, children work in close collaboration with the local community.
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