Conversation with Maser: “I found graffiti definitely was the vehicle for me to be able to really explore what I wanted to do, meet similar peers that had the same sort of mindset as me […]”
Al Maser, also known as Maser, is one of Dublin’s most well-known street artists. We sat down and spoke with him at his Dublin-based studio, Atelier Now.
Maser’s studio is an artist’s ideal set up – it’s spacious, bright, open and has enough space to sit and relax with a coffee. The studio is a result of Maser’s personal philosophy and goals. When he returned home to Dublin after living abroad, he wanted to create a multipurpose space where he could do all the things he loved; meditation, build a community, host workshops, and have the space to produce large-scale artworks.
At our visit, his studio was full of works for his upcoming exhibition at Gormley’s on the 27th October 2022. It’s safe to say that he has been busy, and in addition to his upcoming exhibition, Maser recently released a new “limited edition” print of his “U Are Alive” mural, which was launched on his website in 29th September, sold in in a number of hours.
Maser’s upcoming exhibition will be his biggest to date, spanning three floors and consisting of more than 60 paintings, the exhibition is aptly named “Lost Time, Found Again.” His meditations on time have been greatly influenced by having a 7-month-old baby and establishing where his priorities lie. “That theme [time] has always been in my life, like how do you balance stuff, I haven’t figured it out but everything is moving constantly, but you make time for things that are important. I’ve had to slow down a lot of stuff, like less shows here, stop the artist residency cause I had to prioritise family for a minute. Then we get offers all the time for people to come in, first thing I’d say is I don’t have time but then where does that sit on my priorities? And it sits quite high – engaging community, especially young community. That there is no problem – just allocating the time.”
Maser is one of Dublin’s best known contemporary artists. He grew up with graffiti and street, where he used this medium to fully explore his interests. “I found graffiti definitely was the vehicle for me to be able to really explore what I wanted to do, meet similar peers that had the same sort of mindset as me […]”. But like many of us as teenagers, he was once was unsure of what he wanted to do and unaware of the possibilities of pursuing art as a career. Although the path to an artistic career wasn’t always clear for him, art and creativity have always been a passion of his. “Growing up art was definitely deemed arts and crafts […]. But it was always something that was a companion, something I always did and enjoyed and in some ways it was a bit secretive, ‘cause I guess art was touching more into the feminine side and you definitely weren’t allowed to engage with that as a young 15 year old [boy].”
Maser went to study fine arts, but eventually dropped out to study graphic design. He was already creating a lot graffiti at the time, and it is where he first encountered his love of colour and ambition as an artist. Although graphic design, especially typography, is where he found his niche and how he began to develop his signature style. He took what he had learned from his studies and combined these elements to create a visual language that we all know him for. As he says “Graffiti – it’s typography, it’s your name and you’re skewing it, so it’s sort of abstract typography in some way.”
His compositions are expressive and striking, and the results are a combination of both the artist’s and the designer’s mentality. “[When] you’re painting on the streets you want your piece to be as loud as possible, so you’re using quite processed vibrant colours, and that black – those black lines are coming from graffiti, usually- not all the time you’d black outline a piece. Black and white balance out the composition and the colours – without it, it would be quite muted, so they’re the levers.”
“It’s an open message, people take what they want from it, like I’ve had loads of people messaging me very kind things on how it has affected them and helped them.”
One of the most rememberable murals he’s ever worked on was the Repeal mural from 2016, which was partially removed back in 2018. The mural’s message was seen across all media; the graphic appeared on t-shirts and badges and on people’s social media profiles. “Repeal was quite important obviously for its reason, but also that collective energy, really having no ownership of the work was really nice and seeing it pull people together.” It’s clear that Maser wants his street art to speak for itself and be interpreted by people in their own way. The “U Are Alive” mural has been a familiar sight for the last eight years and brings a spark of joy to Dublin’s streets, as well as a connection to the general population that Maser really values. “It’s an open message, people take what they want from it, like I’ve had loads of people messaging me very kind things on how it has affected them and helped them.”
[…] “I’ve had loads of people messaging me very kind things on how it has affected them and helped them.”
The lack of personal ownership over street art is something Maser brings to his attitude about his art work as well, especially when painting is a means for processing or expressing emotions. “You’re sort of painting cause you’re figuring out stuff and I don’t really hold on to [works]. Because you’re growing, you’re going to develop more and develop more. I think, actually if anything, when I see artists really hold on and be precious with a work then it really slows them down and fucks them up. They don’t release. Don’t control it, just make it and move on.”
Outside of the studio and his art, Maser is a mental health advocate. Alongside his friend Conor Creighton, they established the Dublin Boys Club – a group established to build community and break down the cultural and societal obstacles that prevent men from discussing their mental health. They had activities such as meeting at his studio, hosting events, and hiking. Earlier this month he completed a cycle with a member of the Dublin Boys Club from Dublin to Galway as part of Suicide Prevention Day. The reason for the cycle itself is a worthwhile one but the physical test of endurance also feeds into his artistic practice. While the days were full of harsh and unforgivable weather, his mentality helped him get through the trip. Pushing one’s self is something he believes in. As he says comes from his art practice: “You can sit in this comfort zone but how far can you push something? Then you push through that little bit and you’re getting closer to the edge.” To quote his friend, John, to “Find those edges”. “[…]and it’s the same with painting – what if we did 60 paintings, what if we did this, and that’s why I like to do it. I like finding your abilities and your breaking point.”
So, what does Maser hope his audience take away from his art? He says people should “[…] take something positive from it. It depends who’s looking at it really, you definitely don’t want to be forcing your intentions or opinions on [others] you definitely want it to be open.” It is refreshing chatting to Maser, and it is evident that he places as much importance in his own wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health in others as he does his work. This welcome attitude should be encouraged. Regardless of what each individual takes away from viewing his work, it is difficult not to feel uplifted when confronted with his bright, playful, and expressive paintings.
So, what are the future plans for Maser? Within the art sphere, we will be marking our calendars for his upcoming exhibition “Lost Time Found Again” at Gormley’s on the 27th of October 2022. One of his goals for the upcoming year include strengthening the Dublin Boys Club community and investing more energy there, developing a system there that will enable it to be self-sustaining
To contact or learn more about Maser’s work follow him on social media and check his website:
website: Maser Art
Instagram: @maserart
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