Nashtival: A Tribute Jam for Dutch Graffiti Pioneer Nash
Written by Anne van Bree
Photos by Gianluca Nobile
Published on July 23rd, 2025
Fuego, one of Nash’s favorite places to paint, set the scene for the first edition of Nashtival. This youth center in Maaseik, Belgium, had long served as the unofficial headquarters of LoveLetters, the graffiti crew Nash co-founded. He especially appreciated the indoor space there, ideal for painting through cold winter days. “Nash didn’t like the cold,” jokes Chas, a close friend and fellow crew member. “Fuego was ideal, he could paint indoors with a coffee in his hand.” Hosting the festival here, where his funeral was also held just a year earlier, made sense.
Werner Zwakhalen, better known as Nash, left an indelible mark on the graffiti world. Born in Sittard, the Netherlands, in 1970, he discovered graffiti, hip-hop and breakdance in the early 1980s. That B-boy spirit never left him. His characters were exaggerated, full of confidence and instantly recognizable – bold blends of cartoon energy and technical precision. His work traveled far beyond his hometown, appearing on walls from Australia to the United States. In 2021, Nash was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away on July 6, 2024.
“Nash didn’t like the cold,” jokes Chas, a close friend and fellow crew member. “Fuego was ideal, he could paint indoors with a coffee in his hand.”
On the weekend of July 5 and 6, Nash’s friends and family gathered to honor his life in the way he would have wanted: by painting side by side. More than anything, Nash had hoped that people would keep coming together. And that’s exactly what happened. Artists traveled from Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. People reconnected, old-school hip-hop tracks filled the air, the distinct hiss of spray cans echoed and heartfelt memories surfaced.
Among the hundreds of spray cans used throughout the graffiti jam were many of Nash’s own. The walls at Fuego had been prepped the week before, giving artists a clean slate to work with. This time, the members of LoveLetters crew didn’t paint their own names. Instead, each artist took on two letters of the crew’s name, expressing them in their own style and accompanied by characters. “We tried to make it one cohesive piece, and surprisingly, it worked really well,” Chas explains.
Dutch artist Sapo has painted countless walls with Nash over the years. To him, Nash was a mentor, but above all, a very close friend. “There is nobody like him,” Sapo says. “As an artist, but also as a person. He was always full of life. Even now, after he’s gone, he manages to bring people together.” During Nashtival, Sapo teamed up with fellow artists Dase and Onem to paint a wall together. They used the same color palette throughout, creating a unified tribute. Crowns were added to the painted characters by Sapo and Onem, symbolizing Nash, whom they see as the king of graffiti.
“There is nobody like him,” Sapo says. “As an artist, but also as a person. He was always full of life. Even now, after he’s gone, he manages to bring people together.”
Onem, an Italian artist who became close to Nash in recent years, speaks of their friendship with deep affection. “Being friends with Nash was something special,” he said. “I felt like I had found a brother I didn’t know I had. That’s the magic of graffiti – sharing the same passion with people you might never have met otherwise.”
That feeling echoed throughout the weekend. As stories were shared and walls filled with color, it became clear that Nash’s impact went beyond technique or style. He brought people together and helped build genuine connections within the community. “Graffiti is a social art,” Onem adds. “Nash embodied that. He was the glue that connected so many of us.”
“Being friends with Nash was something special,”
Nashtival was more than just a tribute. It showed what graffiti means to those involved. Though Nash is no longer here, his impact remains visible. As the last outlines dried, one thing was clear: Nashtival will happen again. “We’re making this a yearly event,” Chas says. “That’s exactly what Nash would’ve wanted.”
Anne van Bree is a journalist from Breda with a passion for public art that began in her teenage years. Accompanied by her camera, she explores new places by capturing the artwork on their walls. Her work focuses on uncovering the stories behind street art and graffiti, as well as the vibrant culture they represent.