The murals of Taiwanese artist Debe balance deep dives into abstract patterns with a healthy respect for letter work. Kaleidoscopic, geometric wormholes and melting clouds swirl around graffiti-style words, while ripped paper edges and stark, angular shifts of color cut across his work. His pieces vibrate with energy, hypnotically drawing the eye into or along the wall.
Despite having no formal art or design training, Debe creates paintings with a studied personal style, avoiding the trends that dominate the world of street art. The swirling mandalas and interlocking shapes are an evolving element in his work. “Abstract shapes are a way for me to transfer my emotions. Whether I’m angry or anxious, I throw it up on the wall,” he explains.
台湾涂鸦艺术家 Debe 的作品，如同一片抽象图案的汪洋，还有艺术字体穿插其中。万花筒般的虫洞、融化的云层簇拥着涂鸦风格的文字，撕破的纸张边缘和突兀、棱角分明的色彩，从中贯穿而出。他的作品总是跳动着蓬勃的能量，令人着迷，目光不由得随着墙上的作品游走。
尽管没有接受过正式的艺术或设计训练，但 Debe 成功摆脱了街头艺术世界的主流风格，创作出极具个人风格的绘画作品。旋转的曼陀罗图案，相互扣联的几何图案是他在作品中不断发展的元素。“抽象图案是我表达情绪的一种方式。不管我是生气还是焦虑，我都能将这些情绪在墙上画出来。”
Originally inspired by a local graffiti crew named Soul Skool and an online forum called Art Crimes, Debe began lurking along train tracks in his hometown Taoyuan during high school in 2005. He would experiment on tunnel walls with a local aerosol brand called PP. “When I was really young, my mom said I loved drawing on walls and the furniture, so maybe I was just meant to do it,” he laughs. The trackside walls were covered with pieces by other artists who further inspired him, like Dabs, one of the island’s best-known graffiti writers.
关于 Debe 的创作，最初的影响来自于当地一个名为 Soul Skool 的涂鸦团队和一个名为 Art Crimes（艺术罪）的在线论坛。2005 年在家乡桃园读高中时，Debe 常常偷偷沿着火车轨道涂鸦，用名为 PP 的本地品牌气雾漆，在隧道墙上进行实验创作。“小时候，我妈妈说我喜欢在墙壁和家具上乱画，所以也许我天生就注定做这个的吧。”他笑着说道。轨道旁的墙面上布满了其他艺术家的作品，这些艺术家中包括了台湾最有名的涂鸦艺术家之一 Dabs，也正是这些艺术家进一步启发了他。
Local recognition first came from Debe’s posts on Wretch, a now-defunct Taiwanese social media platform. “I’m still trying to figure out how to connect the culture from home with my graffiti and street art,” he says. “Taiwanese society has always felt too traditional to me.”
Debe 最开始在台湾受到关注，是源于他在“无名小站”上发的帖子（目前这个社交网站已停止服务）。他说：“我一直努力试图将这里的文化与我的涂鸦和街头艺术联系在一起。我总觉得台湾社会太传统了。”
He got early international acclaim in 2013 by painting in the first POW! WOW! Taiwan and Hong Kong Walls festivals. Now that the world knows his work, he gets to travel, painting in distant cities like Montreal and Brooklyn. It’s a good thing being an artist has worked out for him: “I used to do odd jobs, like working in a convenience store or a factory, but never for longer two months. I was never able do a ‘normal’ job well.”
2013年，他的作品亮相第一届的 POW!WOW!艺术节台湾站 和 Hong Kong Walls 艺术节，开始受到国际范围的赞誉和关注。现在他开始获邀到世界各地去旅游、创作，包括蒙特利尔和布鲁克林这样遥远的城市。对他而言，成为一名艺术家是一件好事：“我以前经常打零工，比如在便利店或工厂工作，但从来没有超过两个月。我一直都没办法做好所谓‘正常’的工作。”
Multi-color, wildstyle pieces have always been Debe’s focus, but when he just starting out he also liked to tag around town. Back then the police didn’t really even care and would simply tell him stop or to paint over his tags. But now that Taiwan has become a destination for traveling graffiti writers, the authorities have started to catch on. He still likes to tag now and then, but he mostly prefers more thoughtful interventions. “I’d rather paint some fun emojis on an advertising poster or something,” he says. “Something that inspires people, or makes them smile or think in a different way.”
色彩缤纷、风格狂野的作品一直是 Debe 的创作重心，但刚开始的时候，他也喜欢在街上到处喷上自己的签名 Tag。那时的警察对此也不会太在意，最多叫他停下来或盖掉自己的 Tag。但随着台湾成为旅行涂鸦艺术家的热门打卡地，当地政府也已经开始重视起来。Debe 还是喜欢时不时地到街上创作签名 Tag，但现在会更喜欢经过思考的创作。他说：“我宁愿是在广告海报或什么上画一些有趣的表情之类的内容，一些能激励人们的东西，能让他们笑一笑，或是以不同的方式思考的作品。”
