Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Borges aka Grabster.
Hi Marcus, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been intrigued by art from a young age, and found myself drawing my favorite cartoons and comics and taking my school art classes really seriously. In my late teens I began experimenting with spray paint and graffiti, which paved the way for my work in painting large-scale murals. In my early 20’s, I looked for ways to make art the focus of my career and began painting murals for small businesses. I worked with Tijuana Flats to paint 20 murals in their restaurants across Florida and then painted at Primary Flight Art Basel 2009. Since then, I’ve made a name for myself in the street art scene through international work, features in graffiti magazines and websites, and several large scale professional projects through my business, Funky Paint, LLC.. Being born in Brazil, raised in New York but developed in South Florida, my eclectic upbringing inspires my Floridian-style on murals found in Fort Lauderdale and wherever my world travels takes me.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think a very small percentage of working artists can say it’s been an easy journey making a career of art. Most of us work for ourselves and have to do so much on our own to create, produce and promote our product and vision. I struggled in my early years to find the time to practice and invest in my craft but knew that if I wanted to improve my skills or get recognition, I had to make my painting work a priority. While I feel I’ve grown a lot since then, I’d be lying if I said the struggles are gone now, in reality they’ve just changed and evolved. I frequently set new goals for myself so that I’m pushing my limits to reach the next level. It’s not easy but I think if the work gets too simple, I must not be working hard enough.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
With over 20 years of experience with spray cans, I specialize in large scale murals and am globally recognized for my work in graffiti. Lately, I’ve been focusing more on creating work that I’m passionate about and have developed a creative aesthetic that’s bold, colorful, and has a retro-futuristic feel. I love to do work that’s nostalgic to me and that reminds me of the 80’s games and movies from my childhood. As a kid, I was inspired by what I imagined the future might look like and these days love to mix those concepts with the tropical elements of South Florida and Brazil. My latest large murals, “Cyber Wave,” Art Basel in Wynwood Miami and “Blue Heron Dreams” in FATVillage, Fort Lauderdale, are great examples of these concepts and are something I’m very proud of as they reflect who I am and what makes my style unique.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My family immigrated from Brazil to New York in the 80’s and times were tight. My father put together a Frankenstein of a bike from several different bikes he’d found on bulk trash nights. The kids I hung out with were known to ride BMX bikes around and while I was a little embarrassed of what I had, I rode that thing everywhere. Then for my So for my 5th grade graduation and birthday present, my aunts and uncles all chipped in with my parents to buy me a chrome Mongoose Villain; it was the shiniest bike in the store! It was the first time I ever cried tears of joy, I was so thankful. I also remember the tears that I cried when later it got stolen…but that’s another story we won’t get into.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@funkypaint.work
- Website: www.grabisms.com
- Instagram: @grabster
