Kende - Calligraffiti Artist:
my story, from the streets to the canvas
I’m Kende, a calligraffiti artist.
For almost thirty years, my work has stemmed from the same starting point: the mark left on a surface that is not meant to last. I started painting graffiti in 1995, moving between different cities and crews, until I encountered classical calligraphy in London in 2011 — nibs, ink, an ancient discipline that gave me the language I was seeking to blend the spontaneity of street art with the precision of the written word: calligraffiti.
From that moment on, my journey has moved in only one direction: to take that writing beyond the wall, first in interior design in 2016, then on canvas and panels from 2020. Today I call Dissolutionism the most advanced aspect of this research — not a technique in its own right, but the natural evolution of the calligraffiti when it leads one to wonder what remains of a mark once time, a decision or chance has erased it. I am currently working in my studio in Italy, on the shores of Lake Garda. What follows is the journey, year by year, that has brought me this far.
The story
1995 - The Beginning
I started painting graffiti using different tags and aliases. I still didn’t have a very clear vision, but my curiosity was immense. The desire to learn as quickly as possible was overwhelming, and the fear of the consequences that graffiti inevitably bring… partly I didn’t think about it, and for the rest, honestly, I wasn’t afraid at all. It was the most beautiful thing happening to me, and I still had no idea just how beautiful it would become.
2001 - La Strada
I met Fanta from Munich. He taught me a lot, and I’m still deeply grateful to him for that. He’s a good person and a great writer. We used to paint together, and everything kept growing exponentially. Beautiful times.
2010 - Una storia d'amore
I moved to London, both to found my techno-minimal label and for graffiti. Together with a group of Italian guys, we founded the ELVS crew, and we basically lived only for graffiti, like vampires, constantly hidden in the darkness of the night. I truly learned an enormous amount during that period, both beautiful and difficult things.
2011 - Calligraffiti
I attended calligraphy courses. I became increasingly fascinated by classical writing with nibs and ink. I wanted to learn as much as possible — and that’s exactly what happened.
2012 - Dirty hands
Se sei prolifico come writer è inevitabile che si creino problemi: sono iniziati gli arresti, i community service, le interviste trabocchetto della BBC e tutto il resto.
2013 — Interference
Era giunto il tempo di tornare nel Belpaese. Scelsi Milano, l’unica città italiana che si possa leggermente definire città piuttosto che paesotto. Qui ho continuato a dipingere, ma dopo solo sei mesi ho ricevuto una visita alle cinque del mattino dalla polizia giudiziaria. Niente di che: qualche centinaio di ore di servizi socialmente utili e una multa consistente — pagata fino all’ultimo centesimo. Quel capitolo, con tutto quello che comportava, si è chiuso lì.
2016 - L’Evoluzione...
The time had come to evolve my style in another direction. As I continued painting, I became increasingly interested in interior design. So I decided to bring together all the knowledge and skills I had acquired throughout those years and all those experiences within my studio, merging them into something new. My idea was to transform tags into elements of interior design: not simply panels to hang on a wall, but works perfectly in harmony with the room and everything it contains.
2020 - ...della mia storia d’amore
I dipinti su tela e pannelli di legno sono diventati il mio modo di esprimermi. È successo naturalmente, perché sapevo esattamente cosa fare e come farlo: costruire e cancellare, stendere colore e poi toglierlo, strato dopo strato, fino a portare sulla tela lo stesso vissuto che il tempo lascia su un muro esposto per anni o su un treno prima del lavaggio. Oggi chiamo questa mia ricerca Dissolutionism: il mio modo di costruire e cancellare sulla tela fino a fissarci il vissuto che il tempo lascia sulle cose.
2025 - Studio time
Benvenuti nel mio studio: un angolo di paradiso incastonato tra le sponde del Lago di Garda, dove il silenzio della natura convive con il ritmo di chi arriva da ogni parte del mondo. Qui il lago è vicino quanto la città, e la città è vicina quanto il resto del pianeta: uno spazio che unisce radici locali e sguardo internazionale, proprio come il mio lavoro.
