Art can’t solve the problem of our society but for sure can educate us | Wild Drawing (WD) | English Version

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*Cover image – The last are lost from the list, Athens, Greece 2014, @Wild Drawing

For Wild Drawing (WD), street art is a way to communicate – to bring ideas and messages into the everyday lives of people who might never walk into a gallery. His large-scale murals transform walls and architecture into elaborate visual illusions, while engaging with social and human themes.

This September, WD arrives in Sofia for Sofia Urban Art 2026 (26–27 September 2026), organised by Sofia Graffiti Tour, bringing his distinctive 3D style to the city as part of a festival that gathers artists from the international street art scene. WD participates in the festival thanks to the Embassy of Indonesia in Bulgaria.

We spoke with him about the freedom and challenges of painting in public space, the relationship between a mural and its surroundings, the evolution of graffiti and street art, and why even the most ordinary architectural details can become part of the artwork.

How did graffiti first enter your life, and what was it about it that made you want to keep going?

I started paint on the street because of my need to communicate and share my thoughts and ideas with people. Okay, Art can’t solve the problem of our society but for sure can educate us. It is great that everyone can freely access Art, without social,
economic, cultural or other limitations. Art just stands there and finds us on our way to work, school or when we are just taking a walk around the city. What’s more, the process itself is very interesting and there are so many challenges when painting in public space that I really enjoy! Although you should be prepared for the worst, we must not forget that painting on the street is still illegal.

Your work has a very recognisable visual language. How did that style develop, and how much of it is planned versus discovered while you work?

Honestly, it’s impossible to act spontaneously when it comes to large-scale murals. I always have the final sketch in my hands before I start painting. Even more, so if we’re talking about 3D murals where you have to create the illusion of depth on a flat wall and, at the same time, take into account all the existing elements related to the surface. On the other hand, while working on a project, new ideas often come to me about how to manage a space, discovering new possibilities for creating illusory spaces. I usually use these ideas in the next project.

What interests you most about working in public space? Does knowing that your
work will be seen by people who didn’t choose to see it change the way you approach a piece?

Almost all of my work conveys messages; that’s my way of communicating. On the other hand, I’ve never felt the need to be offensive, so my works – even if they carry a message you don’t agree with – do not offend. So no, that does not change my
approach. The only self-restraint I have is when I’m painting in a school.

How has your relationship with graffiti changed over the years? Is there something you believed strongly about it when you started that you no longer believe today?

I’m trying to think of something that I believed then and do not believe now, but I can’t really find anything.

What role does the city itself play in your work? Do you look for particular buildings, surfaces or environments when deciding where to paint?

The spot is very important as it is the one that gives me the idea of what to paint. For example, the shape and surface of the wall which are always different, encourage me to think creatively in managing that space and involving many elements – that already
exist around the work – into it. I mean I like to interact with the place I paint, I don’t just want to put my work on the wall as if it were a sticker that fits everywhere. By the way, I love abandoned places, they’re like a playground!

How important is the community around graffiti to you today – the other artists,
writers and people you meet through painting?

One of the great things about festivals is that you meet other artists, people from all over the world with whom you have so much to share. And sometimes you happen to meet someone again at another festival, I have made some good friends

What is something about graffiti or street art that you think the general public still misunderstands?

Regarding graffiti, most of the people still approach it as vandalism. As for street art many people don’t take it seriously, they just consider it childish.

If you could paint one wall anywhere in the world, with no restrictions, where would it be and what would you want to create there?

I would love to paint a Brutalist building, like Habitat 67 or the Jesi Cemetery Extension. In my work I try to incorporate the various elements that are on or around the wall such as windows, air conditioners, pipes, etc and essentially adapt the work to the wall I have, so that there is a harmonious 3D effect. So, painting a Brutalist building would give me enormous possibilities and scope for experimentation, creativity and joy.

*The international festival of contemporary urban art, Sofia Urban Art, is organised by the cultural organisation Sofia Graffiti Tour. The event is part of Sofia Municipality’s Cultural Events Calendar and is co-financed by the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation. It is held with the institutional support of Sofia Municipality – Triaditsa District, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bulgaria, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Bulgaria, the Camoes Sofia Portuguese Cultural and Language Centre, the Polish Institute in Sofia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Bulgaria, the British Embassy in Bulgaria, and the Embassy of Indonesia in Bulgaria.

For more information about the festival, its participating artists and programme, follow Sofia Graffiti Tour on social media and visit the event page.