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What started out as illegal graffiti in the darkness of Zurich 20 years ago now finances the lives of the street artists Michael and Tobias Senn.
“One Truth” – one truth, two brothers. Michael alias Pase and Tobias alias Dr. Drax have been making street art together for 20 years. The artist duo has not only made a name for themselves in Switzerland. It now decorates facades from Zurich to Berlin with its motifs. The two are among the big names in the scene. Their customers include FIFA, Google and Red Bull.
Your own dogs as inspiration
In her studio in Zurich, she creates designs for large wall paintings as well as smaller works on canvas. While Pase creates the background of the images with abstract landscapes made of typographic elements, Dr. Drax mainly the characters. The colorful monsters and cartoon-like dogs in their works tell the brothers’ personal stories. It’s about growing up without a father, their relationship with each other and their two dogs, who are their constant companions.
This June, “One Truth” was invited to a charity street art festival in Monaco. The host: Prince Albert himself. “You felt a bit like a star,” says Tobias Senn. An ironic portrait was created on site that depicts the prince as the dog king. “He really had to laugh too. That was a nice experience,” says Michael Senn.
Of illegal graffiti…
The two started far away from Monaco’s glitz and glamour. As teenagers, the brothers had to spray their first surfaces in the dark of night because street art was not yet a respected art form at the time.
We used the last of our money to buy spray cans.
Tobias Senn, the older of the two brothers, remembers: “Those were the days when we went out on bikes at night and worked self-taught underground to learn this art form. We used the last of our money to buy spray cans.” What particularly appealed to the younger brother was the thrill of anonymity. Nobody knew who made the work of art.
…for a living
As time went on, however, a change in thinking occurred: “You can’t do that all your life, always hiding at night,” says Tobias Senn. “We thought art had too much potential for that.” Michael Senn explains its success by the difference to classical art: “Street art is outside and accessible to everyone. I think that’s why it got so big.”
The artists hope to have a long career ahead of them. However, one major goal has already been achieved: you can make a living from art. And the two agree: “We are still young artists, that is a great gift, and it can only get better.”