Street art has come a long way since the ‘70s and ‘80s, when it was associated with the metropolitan heaviness of city living. While in the past, cities like Paris, London and New York often clamped down on artists, it has now experienced validation in the form of the first museum dedicated to the form in Berlin, which opened at the end of last year. Over here in Malta, street art has brought character to our townscapes, with murals depicting the humorous, the absurd and the topical. One of the champions of the movement is James Micallef Grimaud, and we caught up with him to discover what makes his art tick, as well as what he has in the pipeline. 

How did you get started?  

I spent most of my teenage years skateboarding in the streets of Malta back in the '90s, when there wasn't too much a teenage kid like myself could do here in Malta. I also loved painting, and started using the streets as my canvas, which was something I did with skateboarding too, since we had no skatepark. Street art was a means of entertainment and a form of expression.  

What is your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from everything I see and all that is happening around me.

How do you choose the themes and locations?

My themes are usually related to what’s happening around me, and I try to add a touch of wit to my work.

Have you ever gotten into issues with your work?

Yeah! Nothing too serious though. 

What is – in your opinion – the defining characteristic of graffiti and street art?

Graffiti is a term used to relate to the written word depicted on walls. It comes from the Italian word graffiare since words and so on were scratched onto the wall. Aerosols started to be used back in the '70s when it started being painted on trains, for example, using spray cans. What I do is mainly street art, since I use the streets as my canvas. Graffiti also falls under the term street art, but it's just one form. Another form which I delve into are murals. My creations have composition and are studied works.  

What are your future projects?

I have just finished off a mural at the skatepark as part of a mini festival which took place earlier this month called Upper Crust Fest, which was sponsored by Agenzija Zghazagh, MCVS, Epic no limits and the Malta graffiti shop. I'm currently working on a large-scale installation at the dockyards in Dock 6, where I'm turning the largest 70-meter crane into a giraffe. This is part of the main V18 exhibition entitled Dal-Bahar Madwarha.