Some people plan lavish parties with all their friends to celebrate their birthdays. Other people battle Father Time in their own way and don’t want anyone to know they are getting older so they hide in their housees and cry. Both ways of celebration are fine, but Taiwan’s biggest female graffiti artist, MAR2INA, wanted to do something totally off the wall for her birthday today, February 22. She decided to paint a Nissan Z in a style that only she could do.

It’s unbelievable.

MAR2INA will be taking her new ride around everywhere she goes, but she can’t drive. Thank goodness she has a manager with a license. LiFTED caught up with the artists on her birthday to get a little more info on what she’s doing and why.

MAR2INA by Danny Chu

How did the idea of doing graffiti on a Nissan Z come about?

Before I painted this car, I actually painted a whole bus. I talked to my collector about spray painting a supercar and he felt that the idea was great and thinks it fits my style of work. He decided to invest in me and buy me a car to paint on.

[在還沒畫跑車之前我畫過的車是遊覽車!在與收藏家的聊天之下萌生了畫跑車的想法，也覺得這台車的整體造型很適合搭上我的作品]

MAR2INA by Danny Chu

Why are you releasing the car on your birthday?

My birthday is a very lucky date. Since two in the Mandarin language sounds like rabbit. Plus, I’m lucky that I can register my plate with my favorite numbers 0222. These numbers actually mean a lot to me.

[我認為我的生日是最幸運的數字，也搭上了0222的幸運車牌，在生日當天發表對我來說最有意義]

MAR2INA by Danny Chu

Is this now the car that you will be driving around in every day?

I don’t know how to drive a car, but I have a manager that can take me everywhere and have my car full of artwork with me. Now my artwork can travel with me everywhere I go around Taiwan.

[雖然我不會開車，不過對我來說坐這台車到各個地方拍照兜風絕對是最幸福的事，就像帶著作品環島一樣的感覺]

MAR2INA by Danny Chu

What are your plans for the car now that it’s finished? Do you have any of big plans for 2023?

Yeah, we will be working with a big coffee brand company. We will let everyone know more about this soon. I'm also having an exhibition in Korea in May with artwork that will be exclusive to Korea. I can’t wait.

[有! 今年三月會與知名連鎖咖啡品牌合作，五月會到韓國展覽我的作品]

All photos and translations by photographer Danny Chu