From Skating to Painting: How MEME is making her mark in graffiti and on the world
ARTIST FEATURE
MEME - FEW AND FAR
Today we highlight Meme, a graffiti artist and skateboarder from Northern California. Not only is Meme one of the most prolific writers of our generation, she is the creator of Few&Far, an empowering global collective of women who skate, paint, and support one another. With 23 international members, Few&Far is now a powerful force in both the graffiti and skateboarding communities. Over the last two decades, Meme’s travels and activism have taken her around the world, from Cuba to Japan, as she continues to inspire others with her art and commitment to see change.
How long have you been painting? What got you started?
25 years, I started tagging under a bridge in small town with my skater homies. There wasn’t graffiti where I grew up in the woods. At age 15 I would steal cans from a local hardware store and paint punk rock/anarchy stuff. Once I saw graffiti on a train while I was out of town, I knew that was something I had to find out about. The colors and style blew my mind, I knew it was illegal and I had to find out more. Once I found out graff had a whole culture to it, I never stopped painting. I’m in my 40s now.
What does “graffiti” mean to you?
It’s consumed my whole life, I couldn’t imagine my life without it.
How do you define “Style”?
I love everyone’s styles… besides anti style “that’s that shit I don’t like”. lol
What is your proudest achievement (number of spots, something massive etc)?
There’s a lot of them, but I think the times I did billboards and whole cars solo. Being a smaller woman, doing my own shit has been the most powerful things I’ve accomplished. I think on the other side of things. It’s all the times I’ve worked endlessly to bring people and women together on painting projects. Community is always a goal and a beautiful thing to be apart of, being a crew leader and organizer is one of my biggest accomplishments.
What's your Dream paint spot?
Painting bandos and tropical places with my husband or my crew / friends is always a dream.
What keeps you motivated through creative burnout/slumps?
Painting is just part of my life I don’t go through burnout, it’s more of trying to juggle my careers with also trying to have more time for skating, gardening and quality time with 5 of my animals. While trying to do social justice work. I have a lot things I’m very passionate about.
How has graffiti affected your mental health? (finances, relationships, career etc)
Graffiti has kept me alive at the lowest possible levels of my life, When I was a younger girl doing graff men were straight up awful!! Not that many women were painting 25 years ago. It’s was way more toxic then it is now. It’s still shitty in some ways but definitely not as bad. Some how I made a career from Graffiti which is dope. I’m honored and humbled to be apart of the community and history. Growing up super broke was always so difficult, especially trying to get fancy spray paint. Racking to getting sponsorships is such a trip and a huge blessing!!! I always worked 2-4 jobs at a time while painting a lot just because I wanted to just travel and paint. Now I have what I always wanted and achieving my dreams everyday. I’ve always been dedicated.
Any chase stories or strange encounters while out painting?
image is AI generated, thanks for the inspo Meme!
A very true long story short… At 4 AM, the cops were looking for me and a friend I was tagging with. My wallet and ID were in a car they were searching. Then—POOF! Like magic out of the fog rolled a super crackhead very gay tall fairy man in a tutu and light-up rollerblades. In San Francisco. “Let's roll ” he said… We zoomed past the cops. I heard my description on the dispatch, but we were too fast and too flamboyant looking for them to even guess it was us. After passing them I went to thank him for helping us ” Then—POOF!—he was gone… my real life hairy fairy godfather help me escape the police.
How do you balance Graffiti with your day to day life?
Sometimes I don’t
What kind of affect has this practice had on your life? Positive or negative?
I’ve had a blast, painting and skateboarding is who I am to my core. So it’s positive.
Where do you hope to see the future of Graffiti?
I hope to start creating more paintings for shows I would like to sell art in galleries, mixing my floral art with graffiti. Always traveling of course go bigger, get better and make more quality friends/family along the way. And always Grow my crew.
If you could give your younger self, day 1 writer any advice.. What would you tell yourself?
Not everyone wants the best for you, Dont share secrets or spots with others. Don’t trust them hoes!
Who's your favorite writer(s)? Additionally- Any slept on writers we should know about?
Anyone who is nice to me or has true intentions are my favorite writers. Just good people, I personally idolize down to earth women writers women who aren’t in competition with each other.
Shoutouts:
Anyone that has ever believed in me and wanted to see me succeed. I love you and appreciate you to the fullest!! Always thank you to my sponsors, my husband Defy and Few&Far
Bonus: Dream paint session with what writer(s) dead or alive?
Musa, Seen, Motel, Mickey, MadC, Fword and many other women I’m friends with online I’ve never met in person.
Follow MEME on Instagram @memersweets
Her collective FEW AND FAR @fewandfarwomen / fewandfarwomen.org
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