Kickin' Back: An Interview with Custom Sneaker Artist Jeff, of Grail Crew Customs
/Jeff is rad. And also a talented custom sneaker maker!
Based at Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.
We asked Jeff some red hot Qs to get a behind the scenes look at the world,
and inspirations behind his amazing work.
A selection of rad custom kicks from Jeff of Grail Crew Customs.
Tea or coffee?
Seeing as I spent more on my home set up than a lot people spend on their car it’d better be coffee.
Sunrise or sunset?
If I’m in Tokyo either, otherwise sunrise probably but only because I’ve been up since the night before.
What scares you?
Mould! Keep that stuff away from the sneaker collection. On a more serious note, not being able to protect those closest to me.
Rad custom sneakers from Jeff aka Grail Crew Customs.
Anime flavour from Jeff aka Grail Crew Customs.
When did you start painting sneakers?
As a hobby close to 5 years ago. I won a competition about 4 years ago and started taking it a little more serious. Over the last couple of years I’ve been trying to make moves to make art the full time gig.
What inspires you and your work?
A lot of different things but more often than not it’s manga/anime and street art/graffiti culture.
What’s your fav thing about Nauti?
How chill it is. Plenty of opportunities to mix with people on different wave lengths but there’s never any pressure to commit to anything so it’s just as easy to hide in my own studio, which is nice for a partially introverted person like myself.
The holy touch, from Jeff aka Grail Crew Customs.
So f rad. From Jeff aka Grail Crew Customs.
Which sneakers are you most proud of?
It would have to be either a Freddy Krueger pair of Air Force 1s, experimented with a lot of new ways of ageing, layering paint and distressing layers with this pair. If not that pair then I’d say a pair Air Jordan 1 mids I finished recently (haven’t had a chance to take proper photos of those yet). I never had any formal art training so portrait work is something I’ve accidentally become somewhat proficient at by way of commissions and this pair has what I consider my best portrait work to date.
What are you working on at the moment?
A whole bunch! Finishing off a Japanese koi piece on a baseball glove, a 30 sq inch commissioned canvas piece, starting a collaboration piece with a Sydney Tattoo shop and about 1001 personal projects with an Evangelion piece (pic attached) I’ve been meaning to finish for almost 2 years now sitting at the top of that list.
If you weren't doing what you’re doing, what would you be?
Musician or recording engineer, I’ve got a Bachelors in Audio Engineering/Production and spent a few years as one of the lead guitarists in a deathcore band. That or a full time coffee snob/barista lol.
Bold colours from Jeff aka Grail Crew Customs.
A work in progress shot of the kicks at the top of the page. All by Jeff of Grail Crew Customs.
Have any artists changed the way you see the world?
No artist in particular but the 1995 anime series, Neon Genesis: Evangelion, played a big role in the way I view and explore the human condition in my own life. The themes and undertones in the series were probably a little heavy for someone the age I was when I first saw it but I find myself regularly going back to it even today.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Going to cheat and give two answers here;
Alive: Japanese artists Takashi Murakami, just seems like such an interesting and eclectic person.
Dead: Recently passed vocalist from The Black Dahlia Murder, Trevor Strnad. They were one of my favourite bands and the one time I met him he seemed like a really cool guy to just hang out with.
Jeff with some of his rad custom sneakers!
