NEPAL: Lalitpur - Tag Theory - Graffiti Crew & Urban Art Agency - Banna Spray Cans Provider

If you’re coming to Nepal and need spray cans or want to connect with other artists in the scene, definitely stop by the TAG THEORY’s headquarters. These guys are just fantastic and have put together countless amazing projects all over the country during the years. Here we’ll show you the store and give you info on the spray equipment at their shop, as well as details about the collective behind it, the artists at TAG THEORY, and the even larger group connected to it called the KOR ART COLLECTIVE.

The shop and office are rather unassuming, tucked away on a small side street off Buddha Marg in the Nakhipot neighborhood in the southern part of Lalitpur. But once you’re there, you’ll recognize it by the graffiti around. A very big thank you goes to BOND, who showed us the premises, as well as all the graffiti in the neighborhood, and with whom we went out for some of the best local grilled meat. He also guided us through the quaint craft shops we would never have found on our own, and we were able to get a behind-the-scenes look at a unique swordsmith’s workshop. Below, you’ll see a glimpse of the store through photos, and we also asked the owners a few questions in an interview.

With TAG THEORY you are a crew and a collective, but meanwhile you are also kind of an urban art agency, which organizes projects and events, also you have a shop and you are the official distributor of Banna spray cans. So you support the scene in various different fields and try as well in professional commercial doings. Tell us more about that. What do you do and how would you describe TAG THEORY?

TAG THEORY is a graffiti store. It’s a dream project of a few friends. Back when we used to work on the streets or on art projects, we often talked about having access to good-quality spray cans and a proper graffiti store in Nepal. At some point, we realized no one was going to build it for us, so we decided to take the initiative ourselves. That’s how TAG THEORY was born. Since all the founders of TAG THEORY are part of KOR Collective, you could say we’re a kind of crew, somewhat of an urban art agency that organizes projects and events. In simple words, TAG THEORY is a graffiti store that also supports urban art, creativity, and the growth of the graffiti and urban art community.

In your shop and with Banna Spray, what else do you provide? What can people buy and what do you have in storage? Tell us some words about Banna Spray. And you also have a lot of other items, from markers to equipment, books, and magazines. Tell us a little more about your product range. What do you offer?

Since TAG THEORY is a complete graffiti shop, you can find all the basic graffiti supplies such as spray cans, caps, masks, different kinds of markers, and mops. Besides that, we also sell merchandise and art prints. Banna Spray is our main product. Compared to European brands, we don’t claim it’s the best spray can you can find, but it won’t disappoint you. The main advantage is that it’s affordable in the Nepali market and comes in a 64-color range. Banna Spray is produced by a company run by young entrepreneurs who understand the emotions of artists and are always working to improve quality while keeping it affordable for artists.

How can people place orders with you or buy the cans? People who live around the corner can stop by, of course. But what about others in the country, like a writer in Pokhara? Do you also send the cans? Can people order online from you? How does that work?

People are always welcome to visit our space, check out the products, and purchase directly from us. They can also place orders online through our social media channels. For customers outside the Kathmandu Valley, including writers and artists in places like Pokhara, we can arrange delivery across Nepal. The easiest way to place an order is by contacting us through our social media channels like instagram or whatsapp.

It was a great visit when I was at your place, and there’s a lot of potential in the building which is now your headquarters. You have a sales area, storage rooms, barbecue places and even spaces where graffiti is painted on the walls. Tell us a little more about the building. A few words on what you plan to do with it.

I think you already mentioned many things about our space. In simple terms, we wanted a place that could be used for multiple purposes. We use the space as our working studio, storage, and store area. At the same time, it’s also a gathering place where we can meet, hang out, chill, and exchange ideas. Right now, we don’t have any fixed plans for the space we have, but we want to use it to operate many creative projects in the future

Who are the members of TAG THEORY? Who are the artists in your crew, and what does each of them do? You’ve got all kinds of different styles represented. Tell us some words about the members.

Since you’re asking about the artists and their individual styles, it probably makes more sense to talk about the KOR ART COLLECTIVE, because all of the founders of TAG THEORY are also part of that collective as well. So, the KOR ART COLLECTIVE is a group of creative people from different backgrounds. What brings us together is our shared interest in streetart and graffiti culture. The collective includes artists working across a wide range of disciplines and styles, and while each artist has their own unique style and practice, we believe in teamwork, collaboration, and learning from one another.

H11235

Collective Member: KIRAN MAHARJAN aka H11235. A great urban artist and muralist known especially for photorealistic works, but also abstract paintings and creative mixed media collages. We have pieces from him on the website at the Pokhara Irish Pub Wall, at the page for the Kupondole District in Lalitpur, and at the Mitra Wall in Chatupak. Also we met him an recorded an audio interview, and extensive article will follow soon.

Artist: H11235 – KIRAN MAHARJAN

Website: https://maharjankiran.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/H11235

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h11235

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h11235panels

Interview: https://hearthis.at/radio-x-interviews/h11235

STREW

Collective Member: ASHIN GURUNG, better known as STREW. A fantastic graffiti writer and one of the pioneers of the graffiti scene in Nepal. We have pieces from him on the website at the Pokhara Irish Pub Wall and at Essential Muay Thai Zym the Nakhipot. Many more will follow.

Artist: STREW – ASHIN GURUNG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/str3w

KOSMIC

Collective Member: SANJAY DONGOL, better known as KOSMIC. Her style combines surrealist, psychedelic, and spiritual elements with modern digital illustration. Recurring motifs include cosmic landscapes, symbolic figures, and bold color palettes. We have a piece from her on the website at the Pokhara Irish Pub Wall.

Artist: KOSMIC – SANJAY DANGOL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kosmic13

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kosmic.culture

NIROJ MAHARJAN

Collective Member: NIROJ MAHARJAN works as a filmmaker, videographer, cinematographer, editor, colorist and visual storyteller. He is not the creator of the urban artworks, but the documentor and movie maker about the happenings.

Artist: NIROJ MAHARJAN

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niroj_visuals

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9QFjapjImY

ZEG

Collective Member: SAUGAT SHRESTHA, better known as ZEG, works as an urban artist, painter, illustrator and also as a tattoo artist together with GRIFFIN at P.I.E STUDIO. There they transform personal stories into realistic tattoos. We have a piece from him on the website at the Pokhara Irish Pub Wall.

Artist: ZEG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeg_shrestha

Tattoo: https://www.instagram.com/p.i.e_tattoos

Besides the mentioned artists there are also several more part of the team. We have NIKESH SHRESTHA, who is an 3D animation and digital artist. There is SAILENDRA CHETRI, better known as GOONTE, who focuses on calligraphy, Nepali lettering and typography. We also have RAJ BHANDARI, better known as HIDE, who works as an digital artist and designer. And we have BIVEK MAGAR, better known as legendary BOND, who is a graffiti artist and organizer with a strong interestin in DIY culture and creative experimentations.