Rišo poses at their first exhibition, "A ty chuje: zelená a biela". (source: Jakub Čaprnka)
If you’ve wandered the streets of Bratislava, you may have noticed a little lizard emblazoned with the phrase “A ty chuje” on walls, bridges, and lampposts. The Slovak Spectator recently spoke with the anonymous Bratislava-based artist, who prefers to be known as Rišo, about the lizard, street art, and their exhibition.
I’ve been aware of your work for a long time, I don’t remember exactly when or where I first saw your posters of the little lizard saying “A ty chuje”. Maybe can you start off by explaining who this lizard is, and how “A ty chuje” translates into English?
The character of Rišo the Lizard came about just before my bachelor’s degree finals when I was procrastinating instead of studying. The bubble with the text “A ty chuje” expresses feelings from that time, which still accompany me in various forms today. It’s hard to pin down one specific meaning because, for me, the expression carries several interpretations. Primarily, it’s like saying “Hey, you idiot,” but not in a bad way (mostly). It’s often more like a sigh or commentary on a given situation or place. In short, it reflects my feelings—ones that are hard to name, but in those moments, “A ty chuje” always comes to mind.
Am I right in saying that all you work with Rišo the Lizard is printed on paper and stuck to walls around the city with wheatpaste? Can you go into your process for designing, printing and installing these pieces?
