Known as “The Southern Most Graffiti Artist,” DEOW 1 has recently graced us with the new mural
aside of The Night Owl in Downtown Fullerton.
“I designed it after having a look at the space both day and night, then decided what would work,” DEOW 1 said, “the artwork was more about night and utilizing the LED downlights.”
From the southernmost city in New Zealand, Invercargill, all the way to Southern California, DEOW 1 has truly made his mark as an artist.
From beautiful vivid street art, to grimy & gritty graffiti, all the way to tattoos, screen-prints & painted vehicles, he has done it all, a sample of which can be seen on his website.
Born in the 1980’s in New Zealand, DEOW 1 found his passion for art at a young age, and got his start in graffiti in Orange County, CA.
“I spent a good part of a year in Anaheim, California when I was 15-16. I started painting graffiti there in circumstances that I wouldn’t recommend,” DEOW 1 said, “the art aspect came many years later, inspired by my surroundings, I started tagging, sketching etc. I think graffiti, itself as expressive lettering, has always appealed to me since I was really young.”
Since his start as a teenager, DEOW 1 has had made his mark far and wide, has had four past solo art exhibitions, and has been doing commissioned artwork for at least the past 10 years.
“My attention span is fairly short and I also get bored super easily. Graffiti is hard and fast coverage of areas in comparison to conventional painting with a brush,” DEOW 1 said, “I like the fact I can cover huge areas with graffiti / art so quick that it’s hard not to enjoy it. I find it easy and quick and that’s what makes it appeal to me really.”
One major highlight of his career was being a headline artist for the 2015/2016 Spectrum Street Art Festival in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“It was a selection of four national artists, alongside some of the most exclusive artists in the world,” DEOW 1 said, “Telmo & Miel, Vexta, Seth Globepainter, Jorge Rodriguez Gerada and more. I’m not sure if readers know the names, but they are the Michael Jordan’s of the street art and graffiti movement.’
“The graffiti and street art scene is more accessible in New Zealand, with a less chance of getting shot.”
Outside of being an artist, DEOW 1 is working on some properties he owns in New Zealand, a commercial screen printing business, a tattoo business and he runs a small farm where he grazes sheep and cows while growing organic fruits and vegetables.
DEOW 1 is currently painting a 300-foot-long wall in New Zealand for a power company.
“I’ll be back in Orange County in November, painting as many walls as I can,” DEOW 1 said, “If anyone’s looking to have something done, please get at me. I’ll spend another month or two in California then will be based back in NZ, working on putting together a street art festival in Southland.”
“All aspiring artists, stay in school, sketch and paint as much as you can,” DEOW 1 said, “to the aspiring graffiti artist; keep up, stay painting, and don’t get caught.”
Visit his social media by clicking on the links below.
