Which graffiti crews do you represent?
DIMZ: Msk, Lfk, M2d, Ltd (France), Csb
What sparked your interest in graffiti?
DIMZ: As a teenager, I first learned about hip-hop culture through b-boy dancing. After that, I naturally learned about graffiti culture.
What was it about graffiti that most attracted you?
DIMZ: Many thoughts come to mind, but one of the recent ones is that I've almost never been completely satisfied when painting wild style on a wall. I've been doing it for over 20 years, but I still feel new emotions every time I paint. The fact that there are still many ways to improve seems to be one of the greatest joys that keeps me going.
It must have been challenging to maintain the fine line between crime and art within the culture of Seoul, Korea.
DIMZ: The fact that crime is a major aspect of graffiti culture will never change. I believe the process of contemplating and researching that boundary and balance is another unique charm of graffiti.
When you've focused on one field for a long time, it's easy to lose life's balance. Was there a moment when you felt the balance between graffiti and life was broken?
DIMZ: When you do one thing for a long time, your vision can narrow, and you might become fixated on a particular perspective. After working on graffiti for a long time, there was a period when I started to recognize several issues. At some point, my passion for graffiti began to feel like an addiction or obsession, and that was probably just before COVID. After that, with the thought of needing to make a change in my life, I started jiu-jitsu about 7-8 years ago. This experience helped me reflect on many things and was a great help in finding healthier energy and balance.
What kind of city is Seoul to you?
DIMZ: I haven’t been everywhere, but I think Seoul is one of the better cities to live in. There are many advantages, such as its safety and clean urban environment. Among them, the Han River is probably the most attractive place to me. I ride my bike there quite often, and if a destination is within about an hour by subway, I sometimes find cycling even more convenient. The river is surrounded by well-maintained landscapes and green spaces, which makes it a very special part of the city. At the same time, I feel that culturally, Seoul is still in the process of developing. Because of that, I think it’s a city with a lot of opportunities still ahead of it.
The graffiti you painted on abandoned buildings in the Itaewon and Hannam redevelopment area was particularly striking. Can you tell us the story behind that project?
DIMZ: Painting in redevelopment areas has been part of my graffiti practice since I first started. Separate from painting in the streets, I needed both free time and a safe space where I could focus entirely on my own work. Around September 2024, I began painting and photographing in that area, and I’ve continued working there up until recently. For nearly two years, I’ve spent almost every weekend creating work in that space. Soon, I’ll be presenting a book and an exhibition based on the work that came out of that period.
How did you end up painting with Barry McGee in Korea?
DIMZ: Around 2022, there was an opening for Barry McGee (Twister)'s exhibition in Seoul, and as a longtime fan, I went to see it. At the event, DEEJ, one of Barry's longtime collaborators, noticed the T-shirt I was wearing and asked if I was a graffiti writer. I told him my name, and he said he already knew who I was. He then introduced me to Barry. It turned out that we had several mutual friends who already knew both of us. Shortly after, Barry asked if I wanted to go painting that night. We ended up riding bicycles around Seoul and painting together throughout the night.
Have you ever experienced any truly dangerous situations while painting abroad?
DIMZ: There have been quite a few situations over the years. Graffiti has always taken me to unexpected places—and sometimes the wrong places. There was one time when someone pointed a gun at me from only a few meters away. That’s why street graffiti always comes with a certain level of risk. It’s simply part of the reality of what we do.
How do you comes up with LFK?
DIMZ: Around 2011, after I had been doing graffiti for some time, I felt there was a lack of a proper graffiti crew in Seoul. At the time, I was painting frequently with two friends, 4black and Ocnsm, so I suggested that we form a crew and work under a single name together. That was the beginning of LFK. We started as a graffiti crew in Seoul, and even now, the crew continues to grow and evolve.
Can you tell us the story of how you became part of MSK?
DIMZ: Ceaze, one of the members of MSK, recommended me to the crew, and through that, I ended up attending the MSK 35th anniversary meeting in LA in 2023. I heard it was the first time in almost ten years that the whole MSK crew had gathered in one place, and there were around 100 people there. At that meeting, ten new members were added to the crew, each recommended by different older MSK members. I was one of them. Aside from me, the other nine were all people who had already built strong names and reputations at the forefront of graffiti culture. That experience had a huge impact on me. It pushed me and gave me even more motivation.
You personally designed the 1bedroom logo. What kind of meaning did you want to put into it?
DIMZ: I personally reinterpreted 1bedroom through the ideas of 'a first beginning' and 'staying true to your original mindset.' Usually, when people first step out into the world, become independent, or start something new, they often begin in a small space like a one-bedroom. So I wanted to express that small room with one bed, the smallest kind of home, and the idea of a starting point through a simple logo. The most important keywords for me were 'starting point' and 'beginner’s mind.' I also wanted to include the image of stairs within the logo. To me, stairs symbolize the first step — the moment when something begins. I wanted to combine the shape of a home with the image of stairs, while keeping everything as simple as possible.
I’m also curious about 8Ballsword, which you’ve been running for a long time.
DIMZ: '8Ballsword' is closer to an independent artist-run label where I release things I personally want to make in a drop format. In the beginning, there were images I had created while tattooing, and I translated those images simply into clothing and goods. Now, rather than defining it strictly as a clothing brand, I see it more as a title or platform for different projects — from small ideas and capsule clothing drops to goods I can make with friends, or new things I can create with people within the graffiti world. There isn’t a fixed schedule for when I make something. It moves naturally whenever I have an idea I want to develop, or when I want to make something together with friends.
