Sweet Damage Crew | Interview

With Biex, Cage, Reck and Seyr as writers, Sweet Damage is one of the most active graffiti crews in Romania since its launch in 2010.

Sweet Damage Crew @ Ironlak BBQ Burner x Bucharest, 2013 | © The re:art

You are a crew of 4 members, each having a unique style. Why did you choose to form a crew and not work independently?

Hello, we are Biex, Cage, Reck and Seyr, and since 2010 we are known as Sweet Damage Crew. We’ve worked independently for a long time, we knew each other, but were members of different crews. We used to meet at graffiti events, we saw our works on the street and even collaborated occasionally.

The idea of forming a crew came naturally as a result of previous collaborations, especially when we noticed there’s a good communication between us. Each of us knows what he has to do and all goes well.

Biex SD, Seyr SD, Reck SD, Cage SD X Shatran | © SD

Why did we choose to form a team? Well, it’s better to get advice from others on what you do, the workload is divided, the job gets done faster, and where there are more people involved, chances to create good works are bigger. The increased number of works since we formed the crew stands proof for this.

Commissioned client | © SD

What do you consider to be your best project yet besides the commissioned works? What about the best commissioned work? How do you feel working with clients and brands?

We want to do graffiti, but in order to do what we enjoy most, we had to make compromises. We often painted things we didn’t like that much or did only to gain money that we later reinvested in our passion. We did works for different clients, important brands, private clients. We used the money to buy cans and paint what we wanted.

Sometimes working with advertising agencies it’s hard. We don’t get to speak directly with the client, so problems appear, and also endless meetings and delays.

Sweet Damage Crew X Sore X Shatran in Ploieşti, Romania | © SD

Who would you like to collaborate with (Romanian or international artists)?

We are open to any type of collaboration. We were invited a few times outside the country and are now in good relationships with event organizers from Spain, Bulgaria, Italy or Germany.

Our Bulgarian neighbors even promoted our works in one of their graffiti magazines, Balcans Magazine. Unfortunately, in Romania there is no publication dedicated to graffiti art only.

At Kite Festival Shabla 2012, in Bulgaria | © SD

Share your statement regarding the Romanian graffiti scene.

The Romanian graffiti scene has declined, and a strong community around this phenomenon no longer exists as it was at the beginning, in 2000-2003. Old writers abandoned it, young talents interested in graffiti are few.

The Romanian graffiti is “in a coma”, there are not so many writers who work constantly. In lack of works to promote, graffiti websites also lost interest.

Future plans for Romania or elsewhere?

We have plans, we want to paint more and better locally, and then cross the borders. We try to turn Sweet Damage into a brand. Besides writing on abandoned walls, we want to get involved socially, do major projects, collaborate with municipalities and housing associations to paint on city buildings.

We also want to test another way of promotion, and launch a set oft-shirt designs with drawings created by each member. We’ve already started, but created one model with the crew’s name and gave it to friends and other writers. We want to sell them, but it will take some time considering the graffiti scene here is almost dead.

Follow Sweet Damage Crew on Facebook and Vimeo.

[Originally posted on April 24, 2013 on The re:art Facebook page; Revised for the current version].