Serge one

SERGE One (Sergio Rinquist), also known as Sergical, is a Cape Town-based graffiti artist whose work blends bold visual storytelling with deep cultural roots. A founding member of the Handcantrol360 Graffiti Crew, Serge One uses aerosol art as a tool for transformation—bridging urban expression, indigenous identity, and collective memory.

With a career spanning over two decades, his murals reflect a dynamic fusion of Hip Hop philosophy, Khoe - San heritage, and futuristic cityscapes, often layered with environmental and social symbolism. Serge One’s art is not just aesthetic; it's a dialogue between past, present, and possible futures, created to uplift communities and challenge perceptions.

His work has been featured in public art projects, educational workshops, and cultural ex-changes locally and internationally. SERGE continues to push the boundaries of graffiti as a socially conscious, visionary art form rooted in South African soil but connected to a global Hip Hop movement.

Check out more of SERGE One's visionary work:

🌐 https://handcantrol360crew.com

📸 Instagram: @sergicalone

Unless stated otherwise, all artwork and photos in this article: © SERGE One

How does the ocean inspire you art?

The ocean is both a canvas and a teacher in my life. As a Graffiti Artist, Surfer, and someone grounded in Hip Hop culture, the ocean’s rhythm mirrors the freestyle flow that inspires my work. It represents movement, memory, and power — constantly shifting, just like Graffiti Art and sound. Whether I’m paddling out for a surf or sketching a mural near the coast, the ocean reminds me to stay fluid, adaptable, and connected to something much bigger than myself.

Do you have a personal or first experience with the ocean that shaped your art?

Growing up, I spent hours exploring the coastline around False Bay. I would draw in the sand, watch the tide wash it away, then do it again — unknowingly learning the essence of Graffiti: impermanence, expression, and flow.

Later, as a surfer, I found a new kind of rhythm — one that shaped how I paint and how I listen. That connection continues today in my murals, sketchbooks, and the music that surrounds my creative process.

Tell us about art you created that is inspired by the ocean

One piece that stands out is a custom surfboard I painted with a tribute to Bob Marley. It fused Afro-Caribbean musical influence, the coastal colour palette of my surroundings, and ancient Khoe symbols that speak to my roots. It wasn’t just a visual piece — it was a vessel that moves over water, guided by rhythm and wave energy. That project brought together all the elements I love: art, music, heritage, and surfing.

Another painting I did was for Cape Town Free Diving, I painted a massive octopus triggering a spray can, a Khoe mermaid and some under water sea life. During this project I also had the privilege of exploring the great African Kelp forests and it was such an amazing experience.

In your opinion, why is it important to protect marine spaces?

Marine spaces are sacred. As someone who surfs and paints in coastal communities, I see how the ocean nurtures physical health, mental balance, and creative inspiration. For indigenous peoples like the Khoe and San and all descendants thereof, the ocean has always been a place of healing and spiritual knowledge.

Protecting these spaces means protecting culture, food systems, and a future where we still have waves to ride and shores to gather on. It's not just about the environment — it's about identity and continuity.

What can art bring to the conversation in marine protection?

Art brings soul to the science. Through Graffiti Art, we take messages to the street — bold, loud, and impossible to ignore. In Hip Hop, we remix and reframe reality, and that same power can reshape how people think about the ocean.

Art invites people into the story emotionally. It turns policy into poetry, data into colour, and ideas into movements. When we create from the heart, we build a bridge — between the sea and the people who must protect it.