Sancho’s Dirty Laundry || An Indonesian Island known for it’s forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice fields, beaches, coral reefs and thousands of Artists, Ateliers & Craftspeople around – there is a strong cultural element to Bali’s appeal. On the South Coast of the Island you’ll find the up-and-coming hideaway hotel/villa village of Canggu. Stretching between Kerobokan and Echo Beach, Canggu is fast becoming the hub for alternative culture, it is the main meeting point for the Hip Hop, Skate, Surf, Graffiti & Tattoo communities. It is also the site for a fair share of yoga and surf retreats (which is how I discovered the place last year). This fresh ‘urban culture’ is taking over the island with a lot of energy and creativity from both locals and travellers abroad.
Nestled in amongst the narrow scooter laden streets of Canggu is ALLCAPS Graffiti Supply Store! Being the only official graff store on the Island, it is Bali’s No.1 stop for all Urban Art lovers and Artists since 2015. Offering a range of paints, caps, accessories and clothing, they also organise workshops, Street Art tours and the staff are always there to help you find the best spots on the Island!
I recently travelled back to Bali for a family occasion about a month ago and on my last day squeezed in a moment to visit the guys at ALLCAPS for the second time to speak with owner TraX for the shop blog. We talked about how the store came to be, the current state of affairs in the budding Urban Arts scene on the Island, the work the guys from ALLCAPS put in to get things done and exciting future plans on the horizon for ALLCAPS to level up!
The Graffiti & Street Art scene in Bali is like no other in the world. It offers artists a unique platform to express their creativity. Despite having major urban hubs, the Island offers a fresh and green scene in comparison to many saturated “hot spots” like Berlin, London, Paris, Melbourne or New York. It also seems that with collective enthusiasm, support and minimal red tape, any creative idea can, just happen. Have a read below….
ALLCAPS was established in 2015 and is the only graff supply store that I know of in Bali. Are there more? How did you guys meet? What’s the story and who’s the team behind ALLCAPS?
ALLCAPS was founded in July 2015 by MAX (owner) & DOBY (Manager) and was the first graffiti store on the island offering quality supplies. Unfortunately after 3 months, for some reasons that would be too long to explain here, they decided to close the store down. This is when I jumped in and took over ALLCAPS after signing an agreement with the previous owners. We wanted to keep ALLCAPS alive and make it grow. We continued to work for a while with DOBY and then he decided to pursue other opportunities. Today the ALLCAPS core team is made of 4 people: TIGER,PICKO, GESYA and myself. Plus a lot of other people working with us on specific projects and events = The ALLCAPS Family. There is another little store in Ubud, run by a friend from his home.
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