Pokras Lampas is a Russian artist who works with calligraffiti, combining his heritage with languages from all over the world to create a unique style. An exhibition of his work opens at Opera Gallery in Dubai on Wednesday.
What is your background as an artist?
Since I started graffiti eight years ago, I’ve been inspired by street calligraphy and by the first calligraffiti projects. I then began to merge these two with my graphic-design knowledge, digital research and inter-national typographic trends.
How did you develop your style?
Since 2011, I’ve been developing my handwriting skills, inspired by Niels Shoe Meulman’s artworks and by the will to develop calligraphy out of traditional mediums. I use a Gothic black letter base first, mixing it with letter constructions of my own and with graffiti tools. For me, it is a way to express the hand movement and to perform my own skills freely.
What language do you use when creating your art?
My language is Russian. I’m working with Cyrillic and Latin letters but I’m constantly researching different cultures to gain new knowledge. I’ve studied Korean calligraphy and have investigated Japanese, Chinese, Greek and Arabic letters a lot to turn Cyrillic letter shapes into new forms. For instance, it allows me to instil an Arabian touch in my work without using the original calligraphy or alphabet.
You have painted on canvas, bodies, walls and rooftops. Which medium most inspires you?
We are living in a special time, where there is no limit in the mediums an artist can use.
For me the most important thing is freedom of creativity, and that is why I love to experiment with it. Virtual reality holds huge possibilities, but I prefer the texture of paint and tools to it, hence my preferred mediums are canvases and walls. Yet I am on the way to mixing them with light and digital projections.
What are your cultural influences and inspirations?
I have always been inspired by different cultures, alphabets and letter forms. Being a graphic designer, I’ve observed many glyphs with unusual shapes and symbols, which were a strong influence for me. Each year, I travel the world extensively to meet calligraphy artists and to learn from them. My main goal is to show the harmony between cultures, merged into one another through calligraphic art in balance and harmony.
How do you position yourself in the current Russian art landscape?
I endeavour to remain the main modern calligraphy artist in Russia. It’s not only about ambition and popularity, but also about inspiring and guiding people in art, as well as representing the country.
What are you working on now?
I am thrilled to announce the official release of my calligraphy embroideries in stores for the Spring-Summer 2017 Dries van Noten menswear collection. I have also been invited to create about 12 monumental canvases as the cover and illustrations for Pirelli’s 2016 financial report.
As for new challenges, I’m running experimental projects this year, such as new murals, sculptures, fashion and streetwear collaborations, as well as independent artistic projects. I hope you will enjoy them.
• Pokras Lampas, Calligrafuturism (Chapter 1.0) runs from Wednesday December 7 until December 20 at Opera Gallery, DIFC. www.operagallery.com
aseaman@thenational.ae
