Check Out Dez Porter’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dez Porter.

Hi Dez, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a visual artist from Santa Barbara, California. The moniker “Deadstxle” was created after dropping out of art school. I was reading a lot about spiritual practices like ego death and lucid dreaming. I was inspired to kill all limiting beliefs I had about pursuing an art career. I started out creating rap fan art that I shared on emerging blogs and social media. That helped me connect with artists and creatives in the music and streetwear industries. I never stopped exploring mediums and taught myself a lot about design, animation, and video editing while I worked professionally as a photographer. The pandemic encouraged me to refocus on fine art and painting. Since then I feel like I’ve been able to use my art to say more and create meaningful moments for myself and others.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not the smoothest. Leaving college was internally a difficult choice for me, as the oldest of six siblings I felt the pressure to be a leader in my family. When I left college it had a lot to do with not being able to afford school. That still didn’t defer my choice of being an artist and rather solidified it.

Another more recent obstacle would be finding my artistic voice. I hadn’t learned the second half of the jack-of-all-trades quote until recent years, and my creative career reflects that. Being a photographer, videographer, illustrator, painter, and graphic designer all held the same weight for me for a long time. Although I still do all of that I think it took a lot of learning and deliberation to find out how to present my work with purpose and get it to the audience it deserves.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The painting I’m doing now is still experimental, but I’ve found my voice in surrealist expressionism. Even when I wasn’t avidly painting I was always drawing, mostly intuitive sketches that would form faces or cartoony characters. The intuitive drawing influences a lot of my painting approach. I feel it allows me to be flexible, especially working with acrylic paint I am not afraid to make mistakes, I embrace them.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
A ton of people deserve credit. Most of my friends and family have supported me throughout the journey. Grandma, Heaven, Cec, Kam. These are people who straight-up supported me, and that support system is truly what kept me sane throughout my struggles and success in the past ten years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deadstxlemedia.com/
• Instagram: @deadstxle
• Twitter: @everythingdez
• Other: https://dezporter.myportfolio.com/