In our work, we often have the chance to speak directly with the artists whose journeys and creations we explore. And when that artist happens to be someone like Aryz—whose career we’ve followed passionately for over a decade (as the many articles we’ve written about his artwork prove)—we wish the conversation would never end.
For Aryz, aka Octavi Serra Arrizabalaga, everything began with street art in the suburbs of Barcelona when he was about 15 years old. He tells us about his beginnings in a mix of English and Spanish.
«When I was a kid, I grew up wandering the streets of Barcelona, admiring the work of street artists and the murals being created, which immediately caught my attention. Unlike the art I found inside contemporary museums or art fairs in Spain, which didn’t really speak to me. That’s one of the reasons I started doing graffiti and painting characters on walls.
My first pieces were done with spray cans, then I also experimented with brushes and rollers—which was the affordable way to paint large surfaces. Gradually, helped by sharing my work online, I began to get some national—and even international—attention.
After a few years, along with friends and other young street artists, I started traveling and painting in other places, of course without earning any money from it. Things are a bit different now. When I started, you didn’t need to show your design beforehand to approve it. Back then we did it mainly for passion. Everything was freer. Everything was more fun, at least for me. That’s what I remember from those years. I sound like an old man now…».
Although he started painting at a very young age, he studied Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona. It was during that time that he realized, almost unintentionally, that his style was leaning towards what is commonly called illustration—often considered not “high end” in the art world. He felt that the new “muralism movement” wasn’t being taken seriously.
«What I did was shift toward a more restrained and sober approach, making more references to the old masters, muralists, and vintage advertisement artists.»
A key moment in his journey was painting murals in abandoned places, because
«Abandoned spaces gave me the chance to interact with the surroundings however I wanted, without rules.»
This awareness led him to develop the style that now makes his works instantly recognizable. Over time, his subjects also evolved to match that style.
«I think painting has this wonderful quality—that it doesn’t necessarily need to have meaning. Art should definitely be accessible and for everyone, but it can also be irrational. I enjoy working with shapes and colors that don’t necessarily exist in reality. We already have cameras and video for documenting the real world.»
Given this perspective, it’s not surprising that he was caught off guard when some of his works still stirred controversy—like what happened at the end of 2024 with a mural in Livorno.
«It surprises me that a painting can still generate such controversy», he tells us.
«Especially because we’re talking about a layer of paint on a surface. It’s not something meant to last forever. But if a mural can spark that kind of debate, it means painting isn’t dead—it still communicates something. I think that’s a good thing, even if the original intention was simply to create a beautiful mural.»
His shift from street art to studio work has led him to reflect in new ways on both the audience he addresses and the themes he explores. Contrary to what one might assume—that galleries impose constraints while the street offers total freedom—Aryz surprises us again.
«When you paint in a public space, you have a responsibility, because many different people will see the work—people with many different opinions. The goal, in my opinion, when working in a public space is to speak to everyone. But when I paint a canvas that will be shown in a gallery, I know that whoever sees it has chosen to be there. That puts more pressure on me, but it also gives me more freedom to address political, social, delicate, or even ‘risky’ topics. Also, personally, I don’t deal with these themes in public spaces because I often don’t know the place well enough to understand how the local community might react.»
It’s interesting to note how, in his case, we are looking at an artist who, after literally starting in the streets, now clearly recognizes the importance of studio work for artistic growth, while also acknowledging some of the more complex aspects of street art.
Torsión diagonal, 2021 (200 x 150cm), La Doma, 2021 (150 x 150 cm) and Oblicuo exterior, 2021 (200 x 150 cm)
«I think studio work can help me become a better artist», he adds. «When you paint murals, time is very limited and there’s not much room for experimentation. In the studio, on the other hand, I can take my time to try things, make mistakes, and try again».
Today, Aryz has found a balance, dividing his time between creating large-scale murals and experimenting in the studio. At the moment, he’s preparing two major exhibitions: one in Barcelona and another in a museum near his hometown. His journey—from spontaneous graffiti on walls to thoughtful painting on canvas—tells the story of an artist in constant evolution. Aryz continues to tell stories, but now he chooses more carefully the space, the time, and the silence in which to tell them.
Artist portrait in the studio by Germán Rigol | artwork courtesy @ARYZ
Read also: Aryz’s new mural in Livorno—between controversy and creative power