Vai Graffiti: A trip with Dom
Written by Gaia Mattiello
Published on May 21th, 2026
In São Paulo’s Eastern Zone
In São Paulo’s eastern zone, in the neighborhood of Penha, visual history is etched into the streets—this is where graffiti culture has taken root and continues to thrive. It’s here that my encounter with Vandré Luís de Oliveira begins. By chance or by fate, I find myself a guest in his home, welcomed into one of the world’s most electrifying cities through his eyes. From this starting point, a deeper journey unfolds into the everyday life of a remarkable artist, where the ordinary and the extraordinary blur, and creativity becomes inseparable from the rhythm of the city itself.
1995 – Youth
His journey into urban art began around 1995, when he was about 12 years old. Since early childhood, around the age of 6 or 7, he had already developed a deep connection with visual elements. He was fascinated by everything related to visual communication—letters, logos, signs, and drawings. Whether walking, riding a bus, or traveling by car, he was constantly observing and absorbing the pictorial language of the streets.
Influenced by skate culture—which he has been part of since the age of 8—as well as rap and hardcore music, he became involved with pixação and graffiti in the mid-1990s.
Influenced by skate culture—which he has been part of since the age of 8—as well as rap and hardcore music, he became involved with pixação and graffiti in the mid-1990s. In the beginning, he did not distinguish between the two forms; he simply created, driven by a strong need to express himself.
From an early age, he began shaping his creative path, steadily carving out a place for himself within the artistic scene. At just 17, he was introduced to tattooing—an encounter that would soon evolve into both his primary source of income and a vital pillar of his artistic journey. More than a profession, tattooing became a gateway: it broadened his cultural horizons and immersed him in a rich network of global artistic traditions, each leaving a lasting imprint on his evolving style.
Over time, he began to understand this universe more deeply, including the mixed reactions it provoked within society. Living in Penha, he came into close contact with local graffiti artists, as well as creatives from other neighborhoods who would pass through the area to leave their mark. This environment became his true school. In a time before the influence of the internet and social media, learning happened directly in the streets—through observation, exchange, and lived experience.
Adolescence
Raised in a peripheral neighborhood, on an unpaved street shaped by scarcity and limited opportunities, his path has been anything but easy.
Raised in a peripheral neighborhood, on an unpaved street shaped by scarcity and limited opportunities, his path has been anything but easy. Growing up amid hardship, violence, and discrimination—often at the hands of both authorities and society—he learned early on what it meant to exist on the margins.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, choosing to become a graffiti artist only intensified these challenges. At a time when public understanding was scarce, little distinction was made between graffiti and pixação. Yet, in his view, both stem from the same essential impulse: an artistic intervention that speaks truth to society. Frequently dismissed as vandalism, these expressions carry a deeper meaning for those who create them—they are declarations of presence, bold affirmations that say: we are here.
Over the years, his work has extended far beyond the walls of the city. Deeply committed to social impact, he has dedicated himself to projects with children and underserved communities, using art as a bridge to opportunity. For him, art should not be confined to galleries or museums; it must reach the places where access is often denied.
By bringing creativity into these spaces, he fosters more than artistic expression—he opens pathways.
By bringing creativity into these spaces, he fosters more than artistic expression—he opens pathways. His work stands as a testament to the transformative power of art, proving that change can begin with one’s own hands, even in the most unlikely environments.
His artistic journey has extended far beyond his place of origin, taking his work onto the international stage. He has painted in Germany, Chile, Argentina, and Peru, while also developing projects across different regions of Brazil. This global trajectory has exposed him to a wide spectrum of social realities and cultural contexts.
Through these experiences, he has moved between vastly contrasting environments—from luxury spaces defined by abundance and privilege to communities where even basic needs remain a daily struggle. Encountering such extremes has profoundly shaped his worldview. Rather than distancing him from his origins, this exposure has reinforced a strong sense of grounding and humility. For him, art is not only about expression, but also about listening, learning, and remaining connected to the diverse realities that shape human experience.
Adulthood
Even so, he never abandoned graffiti. At a certain point in his journey, he felt the need to reconnect with his true artistic path and fully dedicate himself to his own form of expression. From that moment, he committed himself to murals, street interventions, and the continuous development of a personal visual language.
Throughout his career, he has painted trains, metal shutters, buildings, and a wide range of urban surfaces.
Throughout his career, he has painted trains, metal shutters, buildings, and a wide range of urban surfaces. In the process, he developed his own techniques, moving fluidly between bombing, wildstyle, and large-scale mural compositions. Today, his work is recognized both in the streets and within gallery contexts, marking an important milestone in his artistic trajectory.
His visual language carries a surreal dimension within urban art. At times, his interventions remain deeply rooted in the essence of pixação, yet they resonate positively with a broader public. For him, this shift represents a powerful transformation—where something once dismissed or rejected becomes a source of connection, reflection, and dialogue within society.
Nowadays
Today, he lives entirely from his art, supporting his family through a practice that combines commissioned works with independent creative projects. Still, his primary focus remains the strengthening of his artistic voice and the continuous effort to place his own work into the world on his own terms.
Throughout his life, he has consistently invested everything he had into art. For him, it has never been solely about financial return, but about an essential need to create, express, and evoke emotion.
At 43 years old, he considers himself fulfilled. Life continues to bring challenges—physical, mental, and spiritual—but he has always transformed these experiences into artistic expression. His work mirrors his inner states, shifting over time: there are phases dominated by darker tones, and others where color takes over, each reflecting a specific moment in his life.
He places creative freedom above all else. He paints what he feels in the moment: if the impulse calls for a raw, immediate intervention, he follows it; if it leads him toward a vibrant mural meant for a community, he embraces that as well.
He places creative freedom above all else. He paints what he feels in the moment: if the impulse calls for a raw, immediate intervention, he follows it; if it leads him toward a vibrant mural meant for a community, he embraces that as well. For him, everything depends on the present energy and what needs to be expressed through his work.
He also values working alone. Having been part of crews and large collaborative productions in the past, he now finds a deeper connection in solitude—whether on the streets or in the studio. Throughout his journey, he has faced legal issues and police interventions connected to his artistic practice. Yet he has never allowed these obstacles to stop him. On the contrary, each challenge has strengthened his resolve and deepened his commitment to his path.
His work today is the result of all these experiences. It does not belong to him alone; rather, it carries the energy of everyone who has been part of his journey—his family, his friends, and those who believed in his vision along the way.
He believes that every person has a mission in life, and his has always been to express himself through art and, in doing so, contribute in his own way to the world around him.
Final Voice
In the end, I would love to give space to his voice, with a personal question:
What about your future projects? And can you explain to the readers what your style is?
“When asked about my future plans, I explain that I continue to dedicate myself fully to my current artistic practice in 2026, focusing on my murals, paintings, and the various street interventions I create. All of my work remains deeply rooted in graffiti—it will always be graffiti in essence. Even when it does not take the form of letters or written words, it is built on the same foundations and techniques, though expressed through a more surreal language.
I feel a strong drive to intervene in peripheral areas and abandoned parts of the city—places marked by decay, neglected buildings, and social hardship. In these environments, I see opportunities for my work to enter a dialogue with the textures and structures of the urban landscape. People, architecture, and the city itself become part of a shared composition with my interventions.
My artistic language is free from fixed forms. The shapes I create are fluid and adaptable, capable of existing anywhere and in any situation. They can move through walls, windows, and doors, entering and exiting spaces depending on my intuitive response to each location at the moment of creation.
In my murals, I aim to evoke a sense of nature and environmental presence, bringing a spiritual dimension of the natural world into the concrete jungle.
In my murals, I aim to evoke a sense of nature and environmental presence, bringing a spiritual dimension of the natural world into the concrete jungle. I want viewers to feel as if they are looking through a portal when encountering my work. For me, there is no need to define or label everything—art should be seen and felt rather than fully explained.
I also have deep respect for other styles, including realism, but I believe surrealism holds a special power because it leaves space for interpretation. People often spend long periods contemplating my images, questioning what they are and how they were created. I frequently receive messages asking what my work represents, and I usually respond that the meaning is open: it is for each viewer to decide.”
Ultimately, I see my work as composed of organic elements, deeply connected to nature and infused with a strong sense of spirituality.”
And perhaps that is exactly where his work finds its truest meaning—not in definition, but in experience. In giving voice to the overlooked corners of the city, he also gives voice to a deeper, shared instinct—the need to reconnect, to reinterpret, to see beyond the surface. As long as there are walls to inhabit and stories waiting to emerge from them, his journey will not be confined by form or expectation, but will continue to evolve—fluid, searching, and unmistakably his.
Gaia Mattiello, on the border between Naples – my umbilical cord – and the world. Photographer and journalist, believe me, if you try to put a hand in my bag – among the many things you can find – there will always be a camera and a flash ready to make the city of lights squint.