Butabi is a Swedish musician, songwriter and visual artist, known primarily for his work with melodic rock band Cruzh.
Since 2009, painting has existed alongside music as a second creative language — a space with few rules, loud colors and no real obligation to behave. Between live showsgigs, songwriting sessions and recording studios, Butabi turns to the canvas whenever inspiration demands it.
Working primarily with acrylic paint, while frequently incorporating spray paint and other mixed techniques, his process is instinctive and deliberately open-ended. New styles and visual ideas are constantly tested and reworked. Whatever starting point, the finished pieces tend to end up a collision of pop art, 1980s nostalgia, retro aesthetics, rock ’n’ roll attitude, sarcasm and dark-edged humor.
There is no ambition to make art feel overly precious or untouchable. Instead, the paintings are made to have presence and enough attitude to hold their own in a room.