When I started my journey in painting at the age of 14, my reality was that of a small village far from big cities, where the only way to get paint was to send money with someone older who dared to embark on the journey to the big city. Barcelona was our closest destination, and 1994 was the year Montana Colors was launched, available at Game Over, a store that became a hub for graffiti enthusiasts.
KAPI
The store was not just a sales point, but a true sanctuary for graffiti enthusiasts. One of its owners was the legendary KAPI, an emblematic figure in the Spanish scene and a pivotal character in the history of graffiti in Spain. Directly involved in the creation of Montana Colors, Kapi's contributions have been fundamental in shaping the urban art landscape. Imagine the thrill of exchanging a few words with him while buying your spray cans; it was like being in the presence of a superstar, someone utterly inaccessible. He was a great inspiration, and we felt total and immense admiration for him.
Ata Bozaci (TOAST)
But what really marked me from that store were the graffiti magazines they sold. Within their pages, I discovered TOAST A.K.A Ata Bozaci, whose unique style completely captured my imagination. Raised among video stores and movie theaters, his art resonated powerfully with that universe of fantasy and adventure that I was so fascinated by. Toast's creations were like windows into a world of monsters and fantastical characters, all outlined with a surprisingly advanced technique in color handling and spray use for that time. For those of us who started in those years, Toast was a revelation, inspiring many to delve deeper into fantastic art. Some of us, like me, intensely nourished from his vision, carefully choosing our sources of inspiration and our references. In my case, Ata was not only an influence: he represented and continues to represent the pinnacle of graffiti art for me, standing out significantly from the rest.
These three titans have not only been fundamental pillars in my development as an artist and aficionado of murals, illustration, and music, but I also have the immense honor of having them write the introductions for my book. Each has penned a prologue, thus enriching this work that I am currently promoting on KICKSTARTER.
I hope that by sharing my story, those of you who are in small localities and dream of art know that the path is not always direct, but every step, every encounter, every inspiration counts in building your own artistic trajectories.