Writing Our World — Graffiti Manifesto

About the book

Writing Our World: Graffiti Manifesto traces the roots and convictions of WOW crew, formed in the late 1980s between Amsterdam and Utrecht at the height of the first European graffiti wave. Emerging from a movement that reshaped how a generation looked at trains, walls and cities, WOW built its reputation on anonymity, consistency and a refusal to commercialise.

For more than three decades, the crew has worked below the radar, developing a body of work held together by shared codes, humour and persistence.

After years of painting trains, walls and everything in between, WOW brings its principles to paper. This book is not a retrospective but a manifesto: a distillation of convictions, codes and lessons learned from decades of camaraderie and dedication. Graffiti has always been about movement, about time, rhythm and the drive for the ride. Here, that motion is translated into words and images.

The publication spans 80 pages on high-quality paper and focuses on recent work only, in keeping with the spirit of the manifesto: it’s about now, not yesterday. All books are signed and numbered 1–350.

The production of the book and its presentation were made possible with the support of the Jaap Harten Fonds.