Artist series: Rakastaja Robert

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I go by the name Rakastaja Robert and I’m a creative/artist from Helsinki, Finland. My art, in its purest form, is happy and colorful with a punch of absurd humor. If I were a song I would be Shaggy’s Boombastic. If I were a movie, I’d be Dude Where’s My Car. If I were a book, it would have to be an audiobook because reading is for nerds.

What inspires your art?

I’d love to say something cool and romantic like doing heroin while watching sunsets and listening to French electronic music. But the truth is, nothing quite gets my shit together likehard deadlines, panic attacks, and chronic stress.

Is there something special you would like to highlight about this collaboration with Makia?

Makia has been around since 2001. Google pointed out that it’s the same year Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone movie came out. A lot of labels just don’t survive that long. Even Harry Potter turned transphobic and fell off. But Makia is still sailing and I have a lot of respect for that longevity. So I just wanted to make some solid prints that will hopefully become modern classics.

How would you describe your relationship with clothing?

After surviving The Diplomats era in hip-hop (XXXXXL shirts, sagging baggy pants, and pink Chinchilla durags), I have sort of become cautious of jumping into fashion trends. Maybe because of these past traumas, I don’t feel comfortable rolling down the street dressed in a Balenciaga trash bag and I’m aware I’m probably missing out big time. But yeah, I like to form a long relationship with my clothes, so good quality is a prerequisite.

Any departing words?

It’s always good to end with a wise quote, so here goes: “Well you a the bun and me a the cheese and if me ah the rice and baby love you ah the peas“ (Shaggy, Boombastic).