Good morning, dear passengers. This is your Captain speaking. Welcome aboard MC flight 303 with service to the Jerooniverse! We met up again with our dear friend Jeroo, an artist, graffiti writer, and best-selling author, to talk about his most recent projects and how he keeps the fire alive after 30-plus years in the game. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight!
Montana Cans: Hey Jeroo, Nice to meet you again! I heard you recently published a new book. What’s it all about? What does the Jerooniverse consist of?
Jeroo: Jerooniverse is a 300-page photo book featuring selected works from 1993 to the present in the areas of graffiti, murals, and studio art. These three chapters are accompanied by texts written by art historians and by me, as well as quotes from writer friends. Essentially, it reflects my life’s work so far: Pieces I’m proud of, special places I’ve painted, projects that came to fruition, artists I’ve met, and a few thoughts I’ve put down on paper.
Montana Cans: What are your expectations for the new release? Do you feel any kind of pressure to succeed, given that the last book generated an incredible response? Is it still going just as well as before? It’s practically become a classic in its own genre by now, which is probably both a blessing and a curse for new projects.
Jeroo: To be honest, I don’t really feel much pressure to succeed, aside from the fact that it would be nice to recoup the printing costs. After all, they’re two completely different books. JEROONIVERSE is an artist-specific catalog that I self-published, while “Graffiti School” is a general textbook published by Thames & Hudson, an international publishing company with extensive, established distribution channels. “Graffiti School” continues to do well even after more than 10 years on the market, especially the German and English versions. I’m particularly pleased when I receive messages from countries where graffiti isn’t typical, like Afghanistan, China, or Iraq, telling me that my book is inspiring young writers there.
”My own style and urban surfaces – same technique, same flow, same feeling.” – Jeroo (Christoph Ganter)
Montana Cans: That is so cool to hear. As a long-timer, what still fascinates you about graffiti, or about painting in general, even after 33 years? Has your passion changed in any way?
Jeroo: My fascination with graffiti remains as strong as ever; I’ve never taken a break or lost interest, even for a moment. I identify with this art form and feel the need to constantly create new work and develop my skills – otherwise, I feel uneasy. The urge to create and the pursuit of the perfect image keep pushing me forward. As I’ve gotten older, though, I no longer view things so dogmatically and am open to new influences – whether in music, where I’ve long since stopped listening exclusively to rap, or in graffiti, where I now paint animal compositions and abstract images alongside letters. I couldn’t support my family with graffiti alone, but I can with representational murals. Since I only paint my own designs, the difference from painting graffiti styles doesn’t feel that big: my own style and urban surfaces – same technique, same flow, same feeling.
Montana Cans: Have you learned anything new recently, for example, when it comes to technique? Do you use new types of caps, like the ’81s?
Jeroo: I try to test all the new products on the market to see if I can use them to meaningfully expand my technique. Especially in the studio, innovative spray paints have versatile applications. Gamechangers like the Spider-Cans or Needle Caps for textures, funky metallic shades, or now the water-based BLUE series, which lets you create cool watercolor-like backgrounds that you can further refine with a brush, are important parts of my repertoire.
Montana Cans: Does working in the “graffiti field” (e.g., making books) give you the same feeling as painting itself?
Jeroo: No, only painting is painting. The speed, the focus, the effectiveness—I only know all that from spraying, but the other stuff is part of it. Just painting is nice, sure, but I’ve learned that it’s not necessarily enough to be successful—you should also do other things that could help you get ahead. Work, basically.
Montana Cans: I see. In general, how important is self-promotion for someone who makes a living from art? Do you have any advice for younger artists?
Jeroo: The art market is unfair. Clients often have little knowledge and few alternatives, so they end up buying from or commissioning whoever they know. Painting fantastic pieces doesn’t work if potential clients will never see them. As artists working in public spaces, we naturally have an advantage, and by continuously engaging with our surroundings, we can attract attention and, ultimately, clients. I believe that having your own distinctive, recognizable style is also absolutely essential to stand out from the crowd. That’s certainly not easy, and it’s a challenge I don’t envy the younger generation for having to face. But so far, graffiti has consistently reinvented itself and remained innovative. There’s still a lot more to come; I’m sure of it!
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Interview by flightmode; Photography by Daniel Schreiber / Montana Cans © 2026