Deva, on a skate board, is a graffitist in Kunming. He has painted many one walls of Xinhe Alley, Mayuan, Xishan District. (Photo/ Wen Ruoyu)  

A painting on street walls requires many bottles of painting. (Photo/ Wen Ruoyu)

Graffiti writing is getting common on the streets in Kunming. This kind of painting is always seen on the walls of construction sites or some high-level shopping centers.

Graffiti writing is possibly changing the spirit of a city. It may help adorn the city and enrich the street culture.

As an important element of western street culture, passion for writing is their most dynamic fuel to learn the skill. It is hard to confirm the time for the first graffiti writing appeared in Kunming, but this writing on the walls was seen in the first-tier cities in the country for the first time in the 1990s.

Dating back to the 1960s in the States, the painting on the walls contributed to one of the most five important elements of western street culture, including Hip-Hop clothing, street dance, Hip-HopDJ and MC.

Ma Xiaohu, born after 1980, is a bit of celebrity as a graffiti in Kunming. He is among those who started graffiti at the earliest time in the city. Recalled by him, the writing was restricted to no more than 5 people who knew each other in 2004.

Ma majored in auto repair and started painting on street walls owing to his interests. He never learned painting before, and had no idea how he finished his first painting. By the end of August, he created a graffiti writing called “playing with Super Mario”. He said that it was his childhood dream to draw a painting in this theme, as he wanted to be as super as Mario in the game,

Deva learned painting on his own. As a senior student in Yunnan Art College, he made a painting themed the flooding urban areas after rain after being inspired by the continuous rain in August in the city.

Embarrassing experiences for graffitist

Though drawing on the street wall is not illegal according to the law, the street graffitists are usually reported, caught and even fined by city inspectors.

Once, when Ma was drawing attentively, he was caught by some joint defenses from a rushing van. Both he and his partner were surrounded by more than ten joint defense members.

People’s attitudes of graffiti are changing

In Ma’s eyes, people’s attitudes towards the graffiti are changing recently.

In 2006, they were always disturbed by passerbys. It was difficult for him to see a white wall without any painting on it.

In the earlier years, they were once seen by a parent and a kid. The kid was told"you must study hard now, or you will be like them in the future." Ma said it was both funny and annoying.

Years later, some people stopped to appreciate their paintings. Some encouraged Ma to try his best.

There is a wall special for painting in Xinhe Alley, many graffiti draw here each month. The graffiti situation is changing gradually, but it is far from Ma’s ideal.

Ma usually paints clouds in some typically traditional Chinese painting methods. Deva prefers elements about buddhi. Deva thinks, some governmental departments should plan more walls for legal painting in some corners of the city.

Ma starts commercial graffiti painting now, as his painting has been approved by some real estate traders. He earns about 10,000 yuan at most for a painting. He thinks, Wenhua Alley and Wenlin Street are characteristical streets in the city, and should be more imaginative with the appearance of street wall paintings.

(Editors:Lynn, Tracy)

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