Meet The Street Artist Shaking Up Antwerp Dzia

Appearing on the scene a mere three years ago, Dzia’s distinctive style and colorful murals all over his native city of Antwerp have already begun turning heads across the world. His work reincorporates animals into an urban environment, rendering them in bold, geometric lines. Read through our interview with him to discover his unique approach to art.

What first attracted you to doing street art?

Self-expression, the freedom to be brave and experiment, development of a personal style. And a constant search for progress. From a young age art has always been of great interest to me. This passion carried me through my younger years until I eventually went on to study a masters in fine art at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. After I graduated I really wanted to place my artwork onto walls. I focused on creating a truly unique graphic style, using abstract and geometric lines to implement animalistic forms.
What gave you the idea to start up KRANK?

I made the zine to support other artists like myself, to create a platform of artists I admired, liked, and wanted to support. It was about making a (fan)zine with nice pics and works you don’t find on your local computer.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a good father, honest man and inspiring artist. The rest is irrelevant! 🙂
Your work features a lot of animals. Which animal do you think best represents you?

A fox. What I like about painting animals is to study their shapes and then to transform their anatomy into a complex line flow – something like abstract black lines in contrast with bright colors – I try to keep up a good progress and learn from every wall I paint! I also like the concept of giving the animals their space back and letting them breathe life into urban areas.

If you could display any work of art in your living room, what would it be and by which artist?

Artist Panamarenko, Archaeopterix (1990)
How would you describe the philosophy behind your art in 80 words?

It is more than just art, it’s something you will feel and see…it is raw emotion at its best and worst. New ideas come very easily to me, so my work is very spontaneous – I paint quickly and in-situ to make sure the original idea stays true to its form.

Hergé or Willy Vandersteen?

Hergé

Banksy or Blu?

Blu

Paris or Berlin?

Paris

Insects or mammals?

Mammals

The Dardenne Brothers or Felix Van Groeningen?

Michaël R. Roskam

Pencil or ink?

Ink

Interview by Stephanie Benoit

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