ANDRÉ SARAIVA 'Peanuts' (2020) Triptych Skateboard Deck Set

André Saraiva first made his mark on the world via graffiti. Born in Sweden, Saraiva grew up in the outskirts of Paris, where he moved to at the age of 10, and left his name on the neighborhood’s walls as a way of letting the people know of his existence.

He started drawing graffiti at 13. At 18, Mr. A (Saraiva’s artistic alter ego) would win a graffiti competition. His works have been shown in museums and contemporary art galleries around the world. He is now an established hotelier, restaurateur, and nightlife pioneer. However, that hasn’t stopped him from partaking in graffiti.

Speaking of his involvement with the “Peanuts Global Artist Collective”, Saraiva said he’d always been a big Charles M. Schulz fan, as well as of the Peanuts characters. They’ve been a huge inspiration to his works.

While he has been quite fond of all the Peanuts characters, he is especially fond of Linus Van Pelt and his blanket, claiming that Linus reminds him of himself when he was younger. “I always wish that I could have a Snoopy dog and a Woodstock bird,” says Saraiva.