You may recognize kel.loves_claymore, aka Klaymore, from our June 2026 First Friday Pop-up. We're so excited to welcome Klaymore's art prints to the shop!
Read our 10 Questions interview to get to know the artist.
1) What kind of environment did you come up in, and what kind of environment do you like to make for yourself today?
I grew up in North Philly and also sorta in a bubble. I went to pre-k, elementary, and high school all in the same avenue. My aunt would watch my brother and I because my mom would work overtime, so we would watch a lot of tv, and I was introduced to anime for the first time. Life changed for me in elementary school, I wasn’t able to hang out with my friends outside of school, or go to events besides family gatherings. Religion and academics became very important to my parents, having to complete my religious obligations or reach my study quota became too much to do. So I kept myself occupied by imagining and drawing the first thing that came to mind, and slowly I became very interested in creating art. I would spend my time during break or after school in the computer room watching anime, at first to get better at drawing but ended up falling in love with it. Today I still spend a lot of my time alone, I love to ponder my orb and think of fun/cool things to create or get into. I’m very grateful to my beautiful, insanely talented, cool, loving and caring friends always getting me out of my house to come hangout instead of letting me rot, I am forever in your debt.
2) What kind of stuff were you into when you were around thirteen? Any advice for thirteen-year-olds today?
I was heavily into anime and video games. YuYu Hakusho was the first anime that I watched and loved :). Something I would tell my thirteen year old self would be, "It’s alright to try new hobbies and failure isn’t the end all be all." As a kid, I always found that starting new projects/hobbies were to be pretty daunting and I still do sorta, but as of late I have been having fun getting into new things.
3) What's your stance on magic?
Magic to me feels otherworldly, a higher power or a feeling in the same sense your sixth sense would give you. Magic could be a feeling that you have but can’t explain, or a déjà vu that has occurred but the moment itself is all brand new.
4) Do you have a favorite print you've made so far? What inspired it?
I made a print for my friend Maggy from the movie Sonatine. I have been into yakuza movies for the past two months, so Maggy invited me over to watch one. There was a scene in the movie where the yakuzas were just hanging outside, but they were all posted up on one car and then the frame freezes just like a picture. It was so perfect that I took a picture and I drew something in likeness’s to it and I loved it.
5) How does creating art let you express your feelings?
Sometimes I like to draw moments that I have yet to have or things I have yet to experience, so when I do have those moments I want to see if I can encapsulate that experience or that moment. Other times feeling a surge of a certain emotion, I put pen to paper and I see what I come up with.
6) What tools do you carry every day when you want to draw/sketch something quickly?
Fabrino 7 X 10 sketch book, Precise v5 0.5 marker pen.
7) Any trend you wish would come back?
Xl Mafia SpongeBob with grills tee and heelies.
8) Any trend you wish would retire?
The use of AI for art, specifically music videos.
9) What's something you wish people engaged with more?
I’m not sure how to answer this one, because I have started to get into a lot of new things and I’m learning so much. I guess I wish people engaged more with their favorite artist when they are doing crowd work.
10) And, any shout outs?
Special thank you’s to YuYu Hakusho, Foolycooly, Norna, Maggy, Alissa, and Ennen. You fed my brain with really cool ideas. But a big thank you to all my friends for supporting me and picking me up when I’m having self doubts, I couldn’t have drawn this much without you. But also a big thank you to you for tuning in and I hope you find a loose dollar in your pocket :).
