Graffiti art team recognized with awards

Members of the graffiti art team ABS（Active Brilliant Significant）work in Beijing's 798 Art Zone on March 21, 2013. They are Ye Shu (29), Chen Chuang (27), Xu Yan (25), and Wang Weixuan (26).

The ABS team won the championship at Asia's biggest graffiti art contest, WALL-LORDS, in 2011 and won second place in 2012.

Ye Shu, who has been engaged in making graffiti for nine years, said they set up the team in 2007 based on a common love of the art and founded one of the first graffiti material stores in China in 2012.

"At the beginning, we just felt it was cool and fun and wanted to show off our skills. Gradually, we learned it is a kind of silent language, and we want to have dialogue with the audience through it," said Ye.

"We hope young people can appreciate the charm of graffiti art. The combination of Chinese elements with Western art in the near future will present a special local style," added Ye.

Graffiti artists work in Beijing, March 26. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/Asianewsphoto]