New work inspired by the shape of a coffee cup stain and made with ground coffee paint. A tribute to coffee.
Does about coffee
'I really enjoy my coffee. I learnt to appreciate it when I lived in Australia. The coffee culture there is fascinating. That's where my passion for coffee started. When I drink coffee now, good memories of Australia come back.
For me, coffee signifies closure or the beginning of a new phase of work. A short moment that passes again. Like the murals that I create; they may only exist for a week or I could create them in a city that I will never return to. You carry on and what remains is the 'taste' or memory of it.'
Does over koffie
'Ik ben zelf een grote koffieliefhebber. Heb het echt leren waarderen toen ik in Australië woonde. De koffiecultuur daar vond ik fascinerend. Zo begon een passie voor koffie. Als ik nu koffiedrink komen goeie herinneringen aan Australië boven.
Koffie is voor mij een afsluiting of het begin van een nieuwe fase van werken. Een kort moment dat weer voorbijgaat. Net als de murals die ik maak; misschien bestaan die maar een week of maak ik ze in een stad waar ik nooit meer terugkom. Je gaat weer door naar het volgende moment. Wat dan overblijft, is het gevoel eraan.'
Interview First Day Of Spring X Does
DOES was a professional football player before an injury made him decide to turn his other love, graffiti art, into a profession. In our campaign for Perla, we collaborated with this versatile visual artist.
Tagging walls and playing ball
For over a decade, it was football by day and graffiti at nightfall for Does: ‘In 1997, I started drawing pieces and soon after, the excitement of spray paint and tagging walls drew me outdoors.’
On track to become a professional football player, it was his way to let off some steam. ‘I needed it to balance out the strict regime and focus that football demanded. No one from the club knew I was doing it, I was living a parallel life.’
In search of creative freedom
It was in 2000 - Does was the star player of Fortuna Sittard and he was selected for the national football team - that he suffered his first injury. He kept trying to play on and off for 6 more years, haunted by more injuries, until he decided to leave professional football for good. ‘Right after, my wife and I moved to Australia to let go of my past and only a few months in, I got the opportunity to do an exhibition of the work I had made in the previous years. It was very successful, fueling me to really try to make it with art.’
Being able to express himself creatively gave him an instant sense of freedom. ‘It’s about forgetting time and everything around me. Like I’m in a bubble. I guess I’ve always been a creative person. The way I see it, a creative person should be able to build something out of nothing. Truly create, in that sense. And it’s also someone who dares to challenge him/herself and push boundaries.’
Artwork for Perla coffee
Along with four other artists, we invited DOES to create a tribute to coffee for Perla. ‘I am a true coffee addict. To me, coffee signifies closure or the beginning of a new phase of work. A short moment that passes again. Like the murals that I create; they might only exist for a week. You carry on and what remains is the ‘taste’ or memory of it.’
Working with us on the Perla campaign was the first time ever that he agreed on a brand collaboration. ‘Before, I didn’t want to commit to brand collaborations, afraid that my work would be commercialized, but I truly enjoyed working on this campaign. That had everything to do with it being a great fit between the brand and myself. We had a very natural collaboration set-up, allowing me to co-create and think along.’
