Justin Vallee currently lives in Miami, Florida. He is an art collective known as 2square, a pair of delinquents running around the world throwing paint on walls. Hopefully off the top of really high ladders. Um yea....they travel and pursue their ever expanding dreams. A big one includes painting beautiful, strange, interesting, and sometimes revolting pictures on occasionally rather large walls and various objects.
During their stay in Koh Phangan they painted at The Jungle Experience Festival , Hansa Beach Club , and more.
What is your Koh Phangan story?
I was there just a month ago with my girlfriend Juanita. It was a return trip for her but my first time going. We stayed at the Hansa Resort in .... And rented a scooter. While we were there we got into some full moon mischief at the jungle party. It was insane the amount of people in attendance and the size of the place. I painted a wall at this event. Special thanks to Lali Whisper.
Umm let's see it was great the Hansa resort is intimate and I enjoyed all the people we met. Ok so then we went to the full moon party on the beach and that shit was cray cray. People everywhere, all over the place. Lots of music, and atmospheres. After winding through the streets, clubs, clothing shops, and the beach, we decided to stay in the Sand Castle located right in the middle of the beach.
I remember talking to Juanita and telling her how epic it was. Well long story short I painted the wall before I left. Pulled pieces of the stage together, put them against the wall, used string to hold them together. I think normally I wouldn't have been able to pull that much weight across the ground but the fact I was pulling the makeshift ladder across sand, worked out.... Man was it squirrelly.
During this wall one of the taxiboat dudes in that area asked if I would paint his boat. So if you look out you might see a boat with red and blue roses in the water, that's the one. The whole experience was great in Koh Phangan and the rest of a Thailand that we got to see.
What is your connection to the scene?
I think there may be a connection to the Koh Phangan scene for these murals just due to location. We definitely enjoyed the vibe while we were on the island.
What do you feel you can bring to the Phangan scene?
I don't know what I can bring other than art and myself. I hope to see Koh Phangan again in the near future.
What is the best thing you have been involved with or done?
My art collective 2square. In a way it's the ultimate art piece. I've changed my way of life and living in pursuit of my dreams. Honestly they come true a little every day. Painting these locations while on your island were part of this dream. A few pieces of a larger dream and puzzle.
Do you find Phangan to be a good place for your art?
I think Phangan is a great place for my art. Some places don't appreciate what it is your trying to do. Sometimes you're getting paid, lots of times your not. It's about the passion and the connection to the environment. It's different from city to city, country to country.
What is your favorite place here?
I enjoyed Hansa Resort very much and the scooter. You should have a scooter, the feasible freedom is endless. I can close my eyes and see us driving thru the jungles on the scooter. It was epic.
What do you hope to bring back from Phangan?
Before we left I told Juanita no matter how special Thailand is for us if I'm not able to paint I will feel like I failed. With that said I feel like we shared many special moments and I was also able to say my personal mission was a huge success.
What are your next projects?
We are wrapping a large film project that will soon be released however, I can't say much about that. By we, I'm now talking about my collective; 2square. We are about to do a street art tour thru Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and California. Followed closely with a South American tour; Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina. Bolts are loose on that plan, but you know how it is one step at a time. And in the mean time I have one foot in the studio and the other in the streets. Paintpaintpaint that's my motto and I try to live up to it.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Much further along..... My plans are so big I'm scared to put them there and really let everyone know where 2squares head is. But if I'm here... Like right here.. My head is always 10 steps ahead.
How did you get to where you are today?
Tons of work. Tons of sacrifice. Changed my way of thought and living.
What is your life philosophy?
I believe we all have the power to follow our dreams and personal callings of sort. Mine may not be yours and yours certainly isn't mine. However you must follow this uncertain path in order to succeed and fulfill your personal dream. Not every line is a straight one and not every path is clear. But if you want to succeed on the quest. First you must believe in yourself when no one else does.
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