Martinus Papilaja (Arnhem, 1988) is a multidisciplinary artist who creates ballpoint drawings, tattoos and large murals. His work resembles abstract graffiti, built up from complex, organic shapes. Using pens, markers, brushes and spray cans, he lets his lines grow intuitively across the surface. Papilaja is fascinated by graffiti: what drives the urge and necessity to leave your tag everywhere? And how can you use this visual language in your artwork without cutting ties with the origins of graffiti?
During IBE, Papilaja drew inspiration from the Moluccan Menari dance. Kool Cult invited several Moluccan dancers to the festival, and Papilaja responded by treating his tags as dance movements.
Artist video: https://vimeo.com/1115125087?fl=pl&fe=sh
Date created | Aug 15, 2025 |
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Marker type | artwork |
City | Heerlen |
Country | Netherlands |