“I don’t like this insect at all. Normally, I just use a black aerosol to create them. This time I had to make an exception, because the doorway was so dark that the insect had to be traced in chrome to make it stand out. To my eyes, it doesn’t work because I like my lines to be precise – but here, the black doesn’t stand out properly over the chrome and that makes the whole thing look clumsy.”
The artist biography:
With his roots in graffiti, Itvan Kebadian started creating art in 1998, though it was not until 2005 that he began producing insects in disused locations. Like a tag, they are traced directly in black aerosol. The artist does not sign them – he would rather pique people’s curiosity, and sees these creatures as a form of Trojan Horse. The warehouse in Pantin includes several examples that seem very much at home in this environment. Itvan has also toured Eastern Europe, following the route of the Trans-Siberian Railway and depositing his creatures on disused factories from the communist era. He has been exhibiting his work and taking part in a variety of projects since 2007.