The creative world of Ceet
Every artist will tell you that with each final piece of artwork comes with a story; each piece with its own story, its own version of how life became. And it is with this knowledge that Ceet presents to you this collection of his pieces of art, all and each a portrayal of a fraction of a time in his life with their own happenings independent from one another. This is the world that Ceet created for himself and in turn nurtured and introduced into our world, making it possible for us to not just imagine his creative world but to take part in it, marvel in it and thus making it a part of our own creative world.
“ Dong Men� 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm A colorful take to the norm that Ceet is accustomed to and another arrangement blessed with the introduction of several multicolors takes this piece into maturity from the earlier Crayon and 3 Style in respect to the injection of color tones and gradients as opposed to the age itself. Painted in the hustle and bustle city Shenzhen, China; Ceet titled this piece in honor to where it was made.
“ Multy Paul “ A child’s playful thought on the artist’s name; Ceet confesses that since the birth of his son in 2008 many of his work is inspired and or largely motivated by Paul or “Mister Paul” as Ceet fondly regards his son as. In this particular piece Ceet playfully places the imagery of a curious infant in a pensive and deep thought; how that would look like in graff-style.
“ A L’Ouest “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm As if a sense of black and white, strict type of authority biting a chunk out of the colorful world that Ceet is normally comfortable in; this piece resembles a wolf in action, biting on its prey with aggression. Perhaps a subconscious suggestion on Ceet’s take on the West? The answer is best left to that of the onlooker.
“ 3 Style “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Much of Ceet’s style is centered around the notion of freestyle and the expressing without authority, format or a strict set of rules governing the way in which he can, will and ultimately does freely express in. This piece aptly titled 3 Style the use of 3 colors is used to express his habitual typography graff-style
“ I Believe I Can Fly “ 2010 Mixed media 190/140 cm A kindred spirit in this piece is evident with past reminiscent pieces of Ceet’s Once Upon A Time meeting 3 Style and La Ruche in a bold, dreamlike surrealist fantasy into the world that is graffiti.
“ Inside Out “ 2010 Mixed media 110/110 cm As if to take an earlier piece similar to this and to turn it inside out is the type of imagery and visual understanding that Ceet wants the onlooker to appreciate. For Ceet and many like-minded artists, graffiti is not just a mode nor median to their expression but a language that takes a life form of its own in which graffiti artists communicate in. In a sense, Inside Out shows the realness of graffiti resembling a real life body and how, like humans, is capable of having darker insides like intestines.
“ Mr Paul “ 2010 Mixed media 140/190 cm In a much larger canvas piece than its earlier counterpart Sunshine, Ceet magnified the centered explosion of a silver lining with bursts of typography spilling out in organized chaotic play. A small dedication and homage to his son, Paul, whereby in this particular canvas Ceet imagines the spillage of words pouring out of Paul’s mouth in imagery and ultimately giving him the salute and respect of being Mr Paul.
“ Real Spider “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Playing with perception and imagery, Ceet introduces the notion of a Real Spider in this piece by injecting a tint and hint of yellow infusion taking centre stage with light and subtle force. Of course, in reality this is exactly what Ceet himself went through at the time of piecing this together. Suggestive of the spider’s legs in blend with the typography that Ceet is habitual to; the ideology of a spider’s legs crawling and spreading itself throughout this space is evident and very real indeed, much like the inflammation of his spider bitten limb and what the venom would look like should it be translated into the graffiti world.
“ Staying Alive “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Created in a difficulty period for Ceet whereby he struggled to find a happy harmonious balance between personal, emotional and professional life comes Staying Alive. Equally a tribute to the Bee Gees’ song itself, Ceet explains that this year in particular [2010] was artistically challenging for him to remain in the artistic game (so to speak) and thus this piece reflected and expressed how hard and much he fought to remain and in constant beat and tune of Staying Alive.
Super Heros “ 2010 Mixed media 140/190 cm As if a translation in a visually stimulated expressed artistic conversation on the good and eradicating of evil super heroes do and can do; this piece gives off an inner sense of “good triumphs all” feel.
“ Riverside “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Similar to Dong Men, Riverside was born in the Shenzhen, China area where the inhabitants are plentiful and seem to consume the land area of Shenzhen by the thousands. It is to this mass population that surrounded Ceet at the time of this painting that Ceet focused the expressing of this “crowded” and “packed” feel that he himself felt using his usual style of graffiti as seen in the previous works of Crayon, 3 Style and Dong Men.
“ Crayon “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Like a child taking crayons to paper, Ceet’s fascinating array of mixed typography and depth perception brings any onlooker to this piece in a childlike gaze and awe. Originating from preliminary sketches, Ceet upped the tempo by turning it into a full scale canvas and final piece, titling it Crayon in reminiscence of the start to any graffiti piece.
“ Redone “ 2010 Mixed media 140/190 cm A starting point to what would later become Mr Paul and Sunshine, Redone represents a play in an aggressive color to which Ceet is not usually accustomed to; but the incorporation of red later becomes a dominate theme and the foundation to the introduction to newer, quirkier and lighthearted pieces of work.
“ Mao Riz “ 2010 Mixed media 130/135 cm In another homage to China, Ceet decided to incorporate Chairman Mao in an illusionistic feel of crowded Hong Kong’s business hotbed, Central with a cheeky undertone of its given name suggestive of the infamous Russian spies leaving us with a seemingly emotional Mao Riz.
Aries-born Marc Chagall said it best “Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing” and it is no small coincidence that today, Ceet Fouad at 39, a jack of all trades, lives by that quote. Over the years, Fouad has built an impressive portfolio showcasing work from his days with his home town crew, Trumac extending his talents from DJing to graphic design from his one true love of graffiti. Fouad hails from Toulouse, South of France but originates from North Africa. His interest in graffiti and his career in graffiti took 5-6 years to initiate however once the wheels were in motion, nothing can stand in the way of Fouad and his artistry. What now has become typography Fouad mastered at a tender age with graffiti, turning his expression through words in to a visionary image of his emotions and mindset. What does graffiti represent for you? Painting on the walls, canvas, train. When I first started to graffiti I didn’t think about what the audience could perceive from my work but the more I got into it and the more experience I got from it, I realized that through graffiti, those that liked my work understood what graffiti stands for. And of course in time, my work represented an expression of that understanding. Graffiti to me is like a representation of what I like to call “the ego-less man”, this meaning that every graffiti artist can find a wall and paint a piece of himself on it for display without any fear of a curator undermining their work or passing judgment. If the audience liked your work, in a sense they like you, the artist. Of course, one has to understand and appreciate that you cannot please everybody and not everyone is going to like your work however, you will undoubtedly find one that does. Who knows that one person could turn out to be a property developer and hire you to paint ever wall in the building! What would you like to say to those who don’t understand graffiti? Don’t be afraid. Open your minds. Take in someone else’s view, consider someone else’s perception of the truth, realize that from another’s point of view or angle, the truth may look different. But to shut yourself off from not even considering that there may be another path to the truth is silly, foolish. We are all players of the same game called life. The difference between you and I are the different versions of the game, so you could be playing the 80s version but with me, when you’re part of the graffiti world, your game is always the one thats one step ahead. Always got to be ahead of the game. [smiles] Now looking back on your work, you’ve clearly matured in your artwork. Is there any difference between canvas and graffiti to you? Yes of course. Not just on a technical aspect but on an emotional and mental aspect as well. When you do graffiti on a wall, you are rarely doing one on your own. So it’s a big group of us mixing colors together, exchanging mindsets, where we’re at on our space of the wall and where we are progressing to. I guess the best way to describe it is an orgy of artists only without the actual sex! Now when I do work on canvas, I’m more centered, focused and meticulous. Because every inch, centimeter and millimeter is mine, a representation of me, I work very hard to make sure that its a true and accurate depiction of that. Of the two, which do you prefer to work on? Graffiti... on the walls of course! That goes without saying! But my finest work is on canvas. And when this is your bread and water sometimes you just gotta put your brothers aside and concentrate on number one. As much as we all would love to sell a wall, that belongs to the streets, it belongs to the community so I do have to be realistic and that’s where my canvas work comes in.
Over the years it has become apparent that your work has gotten darker in color. Any particular reason? I think it’s fair to say that as I have matured in age, so has my skill and I’ve always been the type that has been misunderstood a lot. Which is why I find so much solace in graffiti and painting. It was my own expression, the way I saw things and the way I choose to express my point of view and no-one can take that away from me. When you have been misunderstood a lot of times in your life with no leg to stand on, no chance to defend yourself, you are often left stripped away of your personality, character and what defines you. To find a passion, a calling and a purpose that gives you that undisturbed individual voice, it just all makes sense. So as I mature in age, I work hard to express myself as clear as possible however it is true to say that indeed my struggles have also matured with time. Matured struggle? Is that possible? Well, what I mean to say is that as a kid, a child, when you experiment with a hobby or interest such as football or graffiti...you approach it with such enthusiasm and energy. As you get older, sure skills and talent mature for the better but so do the costs of responsibilities, relationships and decisions. When you do graffiti, when you take on the task of painting a wall, it’s one of these projects that you take on as a family. As a close group of like minded artists, well, you don’t even have to be like minded, just open minded enough to visualize taking on board another person’s visual concept in to the greater picture. So as you get older, as boys turn into men, its natural to have communication problems between partners and work-partners - that then naturally disrupts the personal mindset and forward move into the future. But I suppose this is what you call the game of life. What words of wisdom would you like to say to the younger generation? Hey you there, listen. The only way to do something, whether it be in the world of graffiti or DJing or any kind of art form, you have to be patient. And this is very important. Being patient and focusing, especially on finding that one style. When you have found that one style, you then have to be patient in the perfection of it. You have to be able to grow with it, it has to be able to grow with you and take on new technologies and hurdles that life takes on. This is really really important because this one style is and becomes your bread and water.
We’ve noticed a presence of a chicken that surrounds your work in the last decade. Care to explain? When I moved over to China in 2002, you can imagine as a French native, it was a complete culture shock. But a good shock. I loved the fact that graffiti was close to non existent and with the language barriers, it was virtually impossible to communicate. I embraced China with open arms and used my tools to communicate or at least, make communication easier. So one day I was trying to explain to the waiter I wanted to eat chicken. After several attempts at hand gestures I reverted to type and drew it. The chicken seemed to get a lot attention and it went from there! Although 2 years later I found out that the word for chicken in Chinese means prostitute but I don’t care, it doesn’t stop me and my chicken! We are all prostitutes in one sense or another if you think about it... [laughs] Let’s get a bit personal here. If you could be represented by any current artist in the music industry today, who would it be and why? DJ Quik. he’s an eclectic mix of smooth, classy beats, rap and a DJ. I like to see myself as a French version of DJ Quik but funnier! Where would you like to see graffiti in 10 years time? Still remaining on the streets where it started and originated from. Where do you see yourself then in 10 years time? The same. [laughs] More graffiti, more art and more expression of myself through my artwork. I am concentrating all my efforts and strengths into my two artistic passions which are DJing and graffiti. So hopefully in 10 years time I am doing those two with perfection and ease. And the chicken? With teeth! [laughs] In French, we have an expression “Quand les poules auront des dents” which literally means “when chicken grow teeth” which is to suggest... never. But I am hopeful! Your one true love is... my son.
“ Mc Mao “ 2010 Mixed media 110/140 cm What would Chairman Mao look like if he were to stand alive and proud amongst us today in 2011? A quirky take on modern communism and capitalism mixed in with a tongue-in-cheek Chairman Mao made up in Gene Simmon’s infamous Kiss makeup with Ronald McDonald’ed lips of red comes Ceet’s fantasy playful imagery Mc Mao.
“ La Ruche “ 2010 Mixed media 120/160 cm Definition in French taken to mean “The Beehive”, Ceet plays with the norm of his artist identity with the imagery of a beehive together with evidence of a bee feasting upon the lettering of his name
“ White Power “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm A re-visitation of his normal style, this time round only adopting colors of innocence and naivety Ceet wanted to express and convey a tongue-incheek try and what White Power would look like on canvas in the graffiti world.
“…I found out that the word for chicken in Chinese means prostitute but I don’t care, it doesn’t stop me and my chicken! We are all prostitutes in one sense or another if you think about it…”
“To see major luxury brands take an interest in my work and for us to combine pieces of work together always amazes me because for me: I see myself as more from the streets, a bit ghetto-like and having luxury brands knock on your door and want to park their art on your space is like taking a step up into prestige, 5 star.�
“ Dark Side “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Dark Side bearing the exact opposite to its former counterpart Once Upon a Time is a clean, dark, sexy and alluring piece. Captivating and seductive despite its title suggesting a deeper, darker undertone, Dark Side gives off a very clear distinctive inspirational aura for all onlookers and audiences alike.
“ Unbreakable “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm In an uncanny likeness to a still photographic image Unbreakable brings Ceet’s norm in his typography play with the introduction of multi-directional arrows in an incorporation of twists and turns and drips of paint all intertwined with one another. The combination wrapped around one another so securely as if to suggest the strength in its bond as separate pieces of graffiti art in collaboration with one another in this particular piece that is (as the title suggests) Unbreakable.
“ Once Upon a Time “ 2010 Mixed media 120/120 cm Light, airy and uplifting, Once Upon a Time calls out to the onlooker to search, research and call back to the mind of past favorable and memorable experiences. The almost close resemblance to a silver lining one finds on a cloud enables the piece to leave an inspiring and almost magical after taste to any onlooker
“ Style War “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm A visual evidence in what would appear as three styles of Ceet’s in combative and war like mode with one another. Whereas in the former canvas piece of A L’Ouest, the three styles are not engulfing or swallowing one another like the former, but more in fight for the majority in space of the canvas which is no wonder to its given name of Style War.
“ Mao See” 2010 Mixed media 110/130 cm In another rendition of Ceet’s play on communism and the normal accepted perceived notion of commercial art, Ceet suggests Chairman Mao to literally “see” in this respect, to see Ceet calling out in visual form to his focus and attention on the panel opposite to Chairman Mao’s focus point.
“ Oriental “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm A conversation between mixed directional arrows, one finds several visual focal points to rest their gaze on in Ceet’s Oriental piece. Dark, seductive and alluring, the audience is asked to work their imagination through this assortment of chaotic expression to find the ultimate multi-faceted definition that is graffiti.
“ Mickey Moussa “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm Ceet’s interpretation on what Disneyland’s one and only iconic rodent star, Mickey Mouse, would look like should he be attacked by graffiti. Colorful, youthful, full of life and vibrant this piece of work is a modern day example of the acceptance of the graffiti art into today’s modern day culture.
“ Cubrick “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm An homage to Stanley Kubrick and cubism, this piece takes a different approach and translation to what cubism and Kubrick himself stand for. The assortment of typography and multi-directional arrows mesh together in a captivating and engaging force that allows reason itself to stand as a wellintended and expressed homage to the late great.
“Painting with silver in the streets was phenomenal experience for me almost as if I were given the ultimate responsibility of placing silver linings on each individual cloud in the sky.�
“There is something very seductive and sexy about body art. Of course graffiti-ing your own name on a naked woman’s body is in itself similar to foreplay but the physical act of the graffiti and to watch the natural body in movement and be able to retain the solidness of your own graff-style is truly a magical experience.”
“ Punk’s Not Dead “ 2010 Mixed media 110/195cm Punk rock and the world of graffiti share several historic similarities: both were once regarded as a taboo and frowned upon whilst simultaneously both pushing the boundaries of present day acceptance on artistic expression. In this piece, Ceet reminds us all that the latter view of similarities of punk rock and graffiti art is still very much alive and present whilst also simultaneously reminding himself of his childhood; growing up amongst punk rocker peers whilst clutching on to his hip hop style and balancing them both by introducing the expression in graffiti and the understanding in solid, grounded and raw artistry.
“ Sunshine “ 2010 Mixed media 120/130 cm A dark piece titled the exact opposite, this came alive the same time as the previous Mr Paul which is evident in the similarities in color, tone and inception on to canvas. Although the sizes differ quite considerable with this piece taking on a smaller size than Mr Paul it’s struggle between black and white and the explosion of a centered grey in the middle almost calls out, in a sort of howling beg for Sunshine.
2010 : “RUE STICK “MUSEE ART COMTEMPORY MUSEAAV. “STREET ART” Espace Croix Baragnon (Toulouse/France) “WALL STREET ARTS” Salihara gallery (Jakarta/Indonesia) OPENING Wall works gallery (Paris/France) Damina Gallery (Hong Kong) “PICK IT UP” Dragon I (Hong Kong) “GRAFFITI REVOLUTION” M1nt (Hong Kong) “KOSMOPOLITE ART TOUR” (Bruxelles/Belgium) 2009 “ROOTS AND BUDS” GHP gallery (Toulouse/France) 2008 MUMUSIC ART gallery (Shenzhen/China) 2007 SHENZHEN & HONG KONG Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture GRAFFITI & CONCUMPTION Babu Gallery (Shenzhen/China) 2004 KOSMOPOLITE Kitchen 93 Gallery (Paris/France) 2003 “KOOLE GRAFFITI “(Point a Pitre/Guadeloupe) 2002 “GRAFFITI TOTEMS ET TABOUS” Chateau Malrome Toulouse Lautrec (bordeaux/France) GRAFFITI DANS TOUS CES ETATS Taxie Gallery (Paris/France) ARTEMPO (Cugnaux/France) 2001 POST GRAFFITI Centre National Musee Jean Jaures (Castres/France) 2000 Logoscope Gallery (Monaco/France) 1999 GRAFFITI ART Comtempory Art Museum (Vienna/Austria) 1998 BIENNALE ART COMTEMPORY (Lyon/France) www.megaceet.com ceetart@gmail.com text by Sky Tao, photos by Laurent Segretier, Robin Barbier, Mean, Sarah Power. Production : Soone Design
since 1988