The living legend talks about his collaborations, current activities, and the stores he goes to in Tokyo.
In the 1980s, STASH was at the forefront of the graffiti art scene in Manhattan's East Village and is now known as a "living legend. He is also a designer and has been involved in numerous popular collaborations with famous brands. For a collaboration with DSPTCH, which provides high-specification gear for city dwellers and travelers, he created a bag incorporating Stash's iconic spray cap. Richard Liu, designer of DSPTCH, joined us to talk about his thoughts on the product, which Stash himself is a fan of, how the two brands met, and how the collaboration came about.
Born in Long Island, New York in 1967, he was a central figure in the Manhattan East Village graffiti scene of the early 1980s and is one of the "legends of the graffiti art world" based in New York City. He is one of the "legends of graffiti art" based in New York City. In addition to his art activities, he has collaborated with famous street brands such as "Nike" and "Abasing Ape (R)" since the late 1990s. His latest collaboration with Nike, "Air Zoom Spiridon," launched at the end of last year, has also become a hot topic.
All there is is the desire to make things even better.
The name Stash is widely recognized in the Japanese street scene as a "legend in the graffiti artist world" and his numerous collaborations with famous brands have been the talk of the town. On the other hand, I feel that his current activities are not reaching the public directly. Could you tell us about your current main activities, whether they are graffiti or design?
stashAt the moment, I am going back and forth between painting and design projects. The collaboration with [DISPATCH] started more than a year ago, but in the meantime, various projects have been in progress, and I sometimes do painting and other production activities in between projects.
I see. I suppose that when you have two pillars of activities like that, there must be some interrelationship between the activities of each.
stashYes, they are. They are different media, so it is not direct, but they are probably connected somehow, but definitely. It could be coloring or textures. Also, while working on one design project, I sometimes want to try out what I'm doing in another medium. In this way, I feel that I am constantly balancing my activities.
As a graffiti artist, he has been at the forefront since his teenage years, yet still continues to carry on with his life's work. What is that indelible driving force?
stashI don't know...I don't know either (laughs). (laughs) I guess it's a natural feeling of "just repeating the same thing every day from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. I am "fortunate" to be able to continue my normal life based on what I love...that kind of feeling.
Do you think that the fact that you are not too strongly conscious of your activities leads to the continuation of stable activities? On the contrary, is there anything you are conscious of in your daily life and activities?
stashOne motivation may be to always be aware of "what's next. I am never satisfied with the work I have completed, and I am always motivated to create something even better. In this day and age, technology is advancing at a tremendous pace, isn't it? Even if you are making the same kind of product, what is available at any given time is being updated, and what can be done is increasing. That is very exciting, isn't it?
What inspires you in your work and projects? For example, when you are working on a design project, do you often output from the paintings you usually do?
stashIt depends on the project. I try to choose a different method for each project, depending on the point of "what and to whom" I am trying to communicate. Basically, when I do graffiti design, I choose what is appropriate for the project from the vast stock of designs I have done. Sometimes I go deep within myself, and sometimes I have a discussion with someone else. I think this is the same whether I am working on a canvas or on a computer screen.
Collaboration that does not lose the characteristics of both is what makes it worthwhile.
(Left) Richard Liu, designer of "Dispatch
I see. From your stock of designs, you chose your signature design work, the spray cap, for this collaboration. What led you to your first collaboration with "Dispatch" in the first place?
Richard.Let me just side step this for a moment (laughs). It all started when he posted on Instagram that he was using a "Dispatch" daypack. I saw that and contacted him.
stashNo, what you posted was a wrist strap for a camera!
Richard.Wasn't it? Wasn't that a daypack with a wrist strap hanging from it? (Laughs)
(Laughter).
stashAt the time, I was looking for camera straps and bags and found his brand on the Internet. After he contacted me and we continued to correspond, we realized that we had many things in common, such as having many mutual friends in the industry and attending the same parties without knowing it.
Richard.It was three years ago that we first met. At a trade show in Berlin. After that, we started visiting each other's studios many times...
From Richard's point of view, what had Mr. Stash been like up to that point?
Richard.Of course, I had known him for a long time, so I was simply happy to know that he liked my products. He found Dispatch, we met, and he continued to use my products during that time. In the process, we decided to collaborate in a very natural way, as if to say, "It's about time for us to create something together. In that sense, this collaboration may be a kind of "crystallization" of the time we spent together.
So that's how it took you about a year to come up with the product. Did you have any goals for the collaboration?
stashI think of this collaboration as an introduction of sorts. I think of this collaboration as an introduction of sorts, a way to see what kind of possibilities are involved in working with "dispatch". It feels like a small step toward a bigger idea. That's why we made this project while thinking about what kind of manufacturing we can do in the future as we continue to grow our respective brands.
Then, were you conscious of the design choices for this first collaboration? I think "anonymous design" is a characteristic of "Dispatch" products. Was the relatively modest use of graphics this time also a tribute to that?
Richard.Both the daypack and wrist strap were the first "Dispatch" products he used, and I wanted to incorporate a signature design that would express him in a straightforward manner. On the other hand, I did not want to lose the clean, minimalist look of the "dispatch" products. In that sense, I think this collaboration succeeded in blending his colorful art with the essence of my brand.
stashI found it more rewarding than I had imagined to work on a single product, incorporating both respect for the other party and my own sensibilities.
The result is an authentic atmosphere that easily blends in with any style. Finally, please tell us about any favorite stores you always visit when you come to Japan.
stashThat would be Tokyu Hands, of course! I always go there right when they open because I wake up early due to jet lag (laughs). (Laughs) I also visit friends and stores in the same industry who live in Japan.
Richard.Tell me the story.
stashOh, that's right! You see the trial drawing sheets in the stationery section? When I was in Japan before, I drew some simple graffiti art on it and posted it on my Instagram. I put it on my Instagram, saying "#Tokyuhands5F. And then I left. Peace. Guess what happened? An hour later, near Supreme, I heard a voice say, "Mr. Stash! I saw you"....
It's an extraordinary time (laughs).
stashReally, it's like, "WTF!!!?" (LOL) The world has become really small now thanks to social media! (LOL) Thanks to social media, the world has become really small now. Since then, I try to leave a small artwork every time I come to Japan, hoping to meet new people. Of course, I plan to do it again tomorrow morning (laughs).
