Santiago Jaén, better known as Chan, was born in Barcelona in 1979. Influenced by his older brother, he entered the world of graffiti in 1992, during one of the most significant periods in the global development of graffiti culture. A self-taught artist, Chan has developed an abstract style inspired by ancient writing systems such as Sumerian cuneiform and by the connections between past, present, and future cultures.
His work has traveled throughout Europe and South America and has been featured at internationally renowned festivals such as Kosmopolite and Meeting of Styles. In 2008, he joined Badnc, one of the pioneering and most influential graffiti crews in New York. More recently, audiences had the opportunity to watch him create a work live during the exhibition Recién Pintado.
You describe yourself as a self-taught artist. What were your beginnings in the art world like?
I started painting graffiti in the early 1990s.
At first, I focused on creating letter structures and experimenting with color combinations. Looking back, those early experiences unconsciously influenced the way I now create abstract works in the studio.
What influence did Barcelona’s graffiti scene in the early 1990s have on the development of your artistic style?
At that time, having a unique style was extremely important—and it still is today.
For that reason, I have always tried to differentiate myself from others. Personally, I believe my style has evolved in response to my emotional and personal state throughout different stages of my life.
Over the years, you have developed an abstract style based on improvisation and the visual effects of color. What have been your main influences?
I enjoy improvising, especially when working with one of my signature visual languages: a form of calligraphy inspired by Sumerian culture.
I begin by creating wedge-shaped marks and then build additional forms around them to decorate and camouflage the original structure.
I also enjoy combining different elements and color ranges, moving from dark to light and from light to dark. I am interested in creating rounded, previously unseen forms that convey calmness, movement, and balance.
Everything we see influences us. Inventing something entirely new is extremely difficult. Often, when you think you have created something original, you soon discover someone else doing something similar—or someone who did it ninety years ago.
Among the artists whose work I feel connected to are Walter Ruttmann, a pioneer of abstract experimental cinema, and Jean Arp, one of the founders of the Dada movement.
During the 2000s, you were part of several collectives, including MAC de Paris and Badnc. What role did these groups play in your professional development within urban art?
Joining those groups gave me a tremendous boost of energy and recognition.
They are legendary crews within the graffiti world and groups that I had always admired.
In the case of MAC de Paris, they were among the first to organize an international urban art festival, Kosmopolite, where I have participated on several occasions. They also helped establish connections with Badnc, one of the pioneering graffiti groups in New York.
You have collaborated with many artists through collectives and street murals. What role does collaboration play in your creative process?
Collaborations are almost always positive experiences.
There is always laughter, and you are constantly learning and teaching new tricks—the kind of knowledge that you will never find in books.
At the end of 2019, you completed your first large-scale mural on the main façade of Joaquim Ruyra School in L’Hospitalet. How was the creation process? How did you adapt the work to its environment and architecture?
The process was incredibly rewarding and emotional.
While painting, I kept thinking about all the artists and friends I had worked with over the years, and there have been many.
I did not have much time to prepare the final sketch because I had been working with Yoseba MP the week before. However, I already had a preliminary design created for the school’s sports court, which was initially supposed to be painted first. Due to winter drying conditions, that project was postponed until spring, and the mural walls were prioritized instead.
Because I already had a general vision of the composition, adapting it to the building was relatively straightforward.
When it came to scaling and executing the mural, years of experience working alongside other artists on large façades made the process feel natural. Everything flowed almost automatically.
I would simply like to thank Rebobinart for trusting me with the project, and Once and Elhadj for their support.
In 2020, you also participated in the collective exhibition Recién Pintado at the Centre del Carme in Badalona. What does working in different spaces and formats bring to your practice?
Recién Pintado, curated by Spogo and Martí Noy, was an unusual exhibition featuring ten outstanding artists and friends.
The exhibition was divided into two phases. During the first phase, visitors could watch two artists each week painting and intervening directly in their exhibition spaces, with the opportunity to engage in conversation with them. The second phase consisted of a more traditional exhibition format, although it was eventually interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every exhibition and project represents a challenge and an opportunity for self-improvement. Whenever I am given an opportunity, I try to give everything I have.
For this exhibition, I created a mural that combined the more abstract side of my studio practice with one of graffiti’s most critical and essential elements: the tag. The installation also included a sculpture created in my studio and a painted paper work displayed within the same space.
You have participated in international festivals such as Meeting of Styles and Kosmopolite. What role do these events play within the urban art world?
These festivals are true pioneers within the international urban art scene.
They provide opportunities to meet, live alongside, and paint with artists from all over the world.
Your relationship with urban art extends beyond your own work, as you frequently work as a mural production assistant for other artists. Can you tell us more about this role? Do you think it receives enough recognition?
I genuinely enjoy this stage of assisting other artists because there is always something new to learn.
You become familiar with different lifting platforms, exchange techniques, and encounter a wide range of working methods. Sometimes artists have such personal styles that all you can do is operate the lift for them; other times, you end up painting large portions of the mural yourself.
I think it is similar to professional sports: nobody remembers who came second.
Finally, what is your opinion on the growth of legal walls in Barcelona, and why do you think urban art projects continue to increase?
I see it as a positive development.
The more legal walls there are, the longer artworks are likely to remain in place.
I also believe institutions are beginning to recognize that muralism is part of a global movement. As a result, they are becoming more willing to invest in and support urban art initiatives.
