As his exhibition Where the Streets Disappear launches in London, Baku grilled the artist MILLO on his passions, his painting technique and life in the city
MILLO is the artist behind some of the world’s most audacious large-scale skyscraper murals. If you’ve ever turned a corner and unexpectedly run into one of his works, you’ll know the excitement that seeing them in real life can provoke. His exhibition Where the Streets Disappear at Dorothy Circus is a rare opportunity to experience his pieces inside a building – rather than on it – and features his signature monochrome framework with bursts of colour. We spoke to MILLO on opening night to hear his take on life, art and everything in between.
Where the streets disappear means…
After many years dedicated almost exclusively to the creation of art on the street, I became fond of the word ‘street’, both how it refers to the life lived on the street and also as an adjective that is inextricably linked to my work as a street artist. The works exhibited originate from a series of sensations, grown and modified by the memories of numerous journeys and a hectic everyday life. The artworks represent suspended urban moments, almost out of time, as if the city around has vanished.
If your surroundings affect how we feel, we should surround ourselves with…
What we love the most.
The first street art I ever noticed…
Studying history: the images of the first paintings in caves.
I’m always inspired by…
Everyday life.
When I look at the wall or building I’m about to paint, I feel…
That I literally can’t wait to start!
When you live in a city, you should always…
Find yourself a back door.
The mural closest to my heart…
All of them, they all belong to my self and of course to my soul.
It might shock you to know that…
I never wake up later than 8 o’clock.
If I could do anything differently, I would…
Love to play in a rock band.
The best advice I was ever given…
Never give up.
When young artists ask for advice, I always tell them…
To never give up and learn to be patient and wait.
It’s never too late to…
Learn something new.
The one thing I could never give up is…
Without any doubt, I could never give up creating my art.
Art is…
A big part of my life.
Images courtesy of MILLO and Dorothy Circus Gallery