Who are you?

My name is Leiti, I am 27 years old and have been living here in Berlin as a freelance artist for five years.

How did you get into art?

It started in my childhood. I always spent a lot of time on my own and noticed early on that I could express myself better visually than with words. I started skating when I was 13 and was constantly coming into contact with graphics that I thought were cool - designs on skateboards, graffiti or streetwear. And then I wanted to create something myself: my own pictures, my own boards, my own shirts. That was my first step into the art world. At some point I bought my first markers for painting and it just felt right to create something of my own and hold it in my hands. I also wanted to somehow translate the language of skate culture into art; you develop a certain style there, change spots and since then I have developed further and tried out different techniques and styles, including street art. It was fun to paint large formats. I painted doors and windows in my first studio, walls, picked up things from the bulky waste, painted them, threw them away again, painted other surfaces - just tried things out and learned that way.

What inspires you as an artist in everyday life?

Actually, it's not so much the traditional or modern art scene, I get inspiration from everywhere, especially in my surroundings, but more on a subconscious level. Berlin in particular is full of visual stimuli, be it graffiti, posters, street art or fashion from an aesthetic point of view. The skateboard scene and the music I listen to, especially hip-hop culture, influence me directly and subconsciously and are a big part of my inspiration. But also just small moments like tags or stickers on a bar toilet that I see. I also like being in nature - my balance to life in the big city. I like being in quiet, peaceful places and I capture these moments on canvas.

What influences can we see in your work? What inspired you?

I think my art reflects different influences, from skate culture or skaters who are artists like Sebo Walker to contemporary artists like Lucas Beaufort or Zio Ziegler.

I also love experimenting. It is important to me that my art - just like me - stays in motion and develops, and that I learn and try out new things. At the same time, it is important to me that my signature is clearly recognizable in my work.

What does fashion mean to you? What role does it play in your life?

Basically, fashion is more of an expression for me than just clothing. It is a part of our personality and belonging to a certain subculture. I don't like things that are over the top, but I prefer high quality, which I have to look for for a long time, but then I have them forever. Quality is very important to me. There are too few cool things for my taste, and if it is cool, it is usually outside my budget. At some point I started making my own pieces - clothes with motifs of mine, because I love my art and the feeling of having created something of my own. Fashion has long been an integral part of my life, a source of inspiration and also another way of expressing myself.