The Documentary Podcast Graffiti across continents
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Mar 8, 2026 Wise Two, a Kenyan graffiti artist known for bold geometric motifs, masks and a hieroglyphic pattern, talks about painting across Nairobi and Mexico. He explores merging African and Latin American influences. He describes shifting from spray paint to mixed media, using gold leaf, and tackling tricky surfaces like cylindrical vents. He reflects on community reception, commissions and blending activism with commissioned work.
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Learning Graffiti In The Streets
- Wise Two learned graffiti by watching other artists and practicing in the streets rather than attending art school.
- He describes early graffiti as night-time name-painting that gave artists recognition and formed the foundation for his mural and portrait work.
Graffiti As Foundation For Visual Arts
- Wise Two frames graffiti as the foundation for many visual arts because it teaches painting, drawing and gives the whole world as a canvas.
- He traces graffiti's evolution from simple name tags to branching into street art and muralism that serve different purposes.
Painting A Bridge Between Africa And Latin America
- Wise Two painted two women bridging African and Latin American identities, one holding flowers and the other a human heart, to create cultural balance.
- He chose Alchemist in Westlands because it's a communal indoor-outdoor space where people engage with his work.