The Graffiti Artist | Kiril Stoilov or Wion
Kiril picks a space on a wall full of graffiti. He is going to paint on top of the old one that was done by another artist. Kiril clarifies that it is okay to paint over if the work has already faded away — it is one of the unwritten rules within the graffiti community. His equipment is a bag of spray paints, gloves, and a set of caps to paint lines of different widths.
The artist is concentrated and calm. He puts his gloves on, cleans the wall from old adverts, and begins his magic. Two cans of industrial blue spray paint set up a canvas for future work. Kiril doesn’t use any sketch: he keeps an image in his head and steps away from time to time to check the proportions.
Kiril’s passion for graffiti started more than 10 years ago at high school. There were not a lot of graffiti artists around Blagoevgrad, Kiril’s native town. For that reason, he describes himself as an alien back then. Even before that, he always knew that he would become an artist.
“I could not find something else that was as fulfilling as art. A lot of people told me that I was not going to get anywhere with that. They kept saying that it was not cool. But it is not about cool — it is about the need that you can’t put away. I sleep well when I paint. If I don’t paint for a certain amount of time, I am nervous and edgy,” says Kiril.
As it gets darker, vivid turquoise strips on the wall say, “WION.” Wion is Kiril’s nickname as a graffiti artist. Young graffiti writers create a unique name to show that they are a part of the graffiti community. That is why graffiti appears in a public space — in such a way more people know about you. “Putting your name on a public object is about a sense of danger and something that not everyone can do. You put your name — you own this!”
Kiril says that he used to paint on trains and public buildings when he was younger. Because of that, he got into trouble with the police and owners of the buildings. Now, after time has passed, his workspace is not that extreme anymore, so he does not hide. When people and cars are passing by the artist while he is drawing, he does not seem to care.
Pedestrians look at the process with rather curiosity than judgment. Kiril says that he would like to change the attitude toward graffiti and close a gap between graffiti pieces painted on walls and canvas. The smile of a person who looks at his painting is the biggest recognition for him.
“Usually, people think that graffiti art is a childish game because it is on walls. Basketball is a game as well, but you can get into the NBA. When I was organizing gallery shows with other artists, people were fascinated. However, both project the same energy. I want people to see graffiti as a real thing.”
In two hours, it gets completely dark in the street — the Wion’s piece is finished. It is hard to count how many pieces Kiril has painted since high school. None of them are going to be around forever. “If you are a graffiti artist, you can’t make a couple of them and lay back enjoying the old fame. Besides that, a piece always turns out differently — as a human, you can’t experience the same emotion every time,” explains Kiril.
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Anastasiia Mozghova is a student atthe American University in Bulgaria, majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication. She is fascinated by people who preserve their passion.
