Opium is one of my favourite writers from the last couple of years. His pieces always have well formed letters, good colours and more importantly he has his own distinctive flair that that i find to be instantly recognisable.

After more than a decade of painting Opium is gaining more and more exposure and becoming increasingly influential. I asked him a few questions and got some fresh photos off him… Enjoy.

What do you write and where do you come from?

I write Opium. I’m writing all over italy and europe and i from naples.

How long have you been painting?

I am painting since 1994, but since than i had a long stop period from 1997 untill 2001.

Your style is very versatile, you can paint full colour burners with sick backgrounds and but you also do some of the nicest 2 colour pieces, what do you enjoy painting more?

I thank you for your judgment, to answer to your question please note that I prefer painting by two colors, because I first prefer to write letters to coloration.

Your pieces over the last few years has been mostly made of squares and straight lines, your newer stuff is all rounded edges and curves, is this because you got tired of the straight lines or has it just happened naturally?

the squares and lines I was painting before were the result of my greatest concentration whilst the latest composition of edges and curves are coming out spontaneously.

What do you think makes a perfect piece?

In my opinion the perfect piece doesn’t exists, my personal perfect piece is always the one I will make the next.

What is it like painting in naples and in your experience living near by, what is it like as a city i have heard lots of different things!

I love living near by naples, where we all ere friends and almost relatives. Here the wether is very beautiful and people in general are mostly happy all year around!

I have heard the pizza in naples is the best in italy?

Pizza is not the best we have in italy. We have a lot of other things like: WRITING! and best girl!

Tell me a bit about your crew, ‘Wild Boys’. Any one that has read your interview in Graphotism will already know but for those that haven’t seen it…

My crew is composed by very good friends with a common goal: To paint all our life along and try to reach something which is close to a perfect piece.

The subway in Naples gets hit a lot, what does Opium think about painting Subways?

I think that the real writer is the one that is painting on subways cars !! 

Who are some writers that have or continue to inspire you? (Also please share some pictures if you feel like it) 

I have been in the past and I continue to be inspired still today by the writers of the old schools (dondi. skeme. and more)

When your not painting what else do you do?

On my free time I am taking care of a old man who had a stroke two years a go, in the evening I am usually training in a boxing club and I am listening quite a lot of different music (opera, soul, funk, blues, jazz, rap, electro, italo disco and more)

If you didn’t do graffiti what would you spend your time doing

If I was’nt a writer I would have liked to be a breaker dancer.

Have you got any projects coming up or any traveling planned you want to talk about

I haven’t any traveling project at moment but I am taking apart some money to travel to los angeles which is of great interest for me.

If your whole life was made into a film, what song would you have playing when you died?

If I had the misfortune to die after eving lived in a film the song I would have prefered the song :Timmy Thomas why can’t we live together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAvuxLf80Jo

To View the photos larger, Right click and open in a new tab, To keep up to date with Opium, Zeus and Rota check there Flickr: HERE

Thanks Zeus for the photos and Opium for the interview.