FUNGUS AND LICHEN
“This is an exploration
of mineral and
mechanics. I also tried
adding some fungus
and lichen. It is fun,
but gorgeous at the
same time.”ivanh Chanthara grew
up in a working-class
neighbourhood that was
a mix of people and
cultures from all over
the world. He lived in a suburb seven
miles east of the centre of Paris.
Walking to and from school every day,
Nivanh would see a lot of graffiti by
“BZ” (Bavaria-Zetla). He reckons that
this one crew was responsible for aboutthree-quarters of all the graffiti found
in the neighbourhood.
Not that Nivanh was particularly
impressed. He had no interest in
graffiti and “its codes.” He did like to
draw, though. Growing up in the 80s,
he’d copy the cartoons he was into:
G.I. Joe and He-Man, for example. The
first Terminator movie – the metal
endoskeleton, the military boots, the
guns – made a big impression onN
Interview
NIVANH
CHANTHARA
The Frenchman tells Gary Evans how his
life as a street artist helped him build a
career as a blockbuster concept artist
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