Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Dekal.
Hi Jeff, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
One of the first major milestones of my creative journey was when graffiti and hip-hop culture found me as a teenager. My persona and art were given their first major space to proliferate. Sometimes safely and sometimes not. This lifestyle presented me with scenarios that taught me a lot about myself and who I needed to start becoming, as a young man and an artist. An education in fine art and a growing maturity softened what rap music and street etiquette had toughened. Attitudes of competition and aggression gradually transitioned into grace and curiosity as a newfound ability to express my emotions emerged through drawing the figure. Today I present all of these aspects in my work because I get to draw superheroes and science fiction/fantasy characters for a living. I broke into the comic industry in 2012 and it has lined my path with friends, followers, experiences, and widespread travel. The comic industry established new structure and purpose into the scaffolding of my life and artistic legacy. As my work connects with more people and provides me with more opportunities, I’m able to know myself better and I am beyond grateful for this. Through each act of my life, my art has been like a compass guiding my way through.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggle is a prerequisite to greatness and part of what sustains it. When I was younger my placement in the world felt polarizing and confusing, but as I get older it’s become interesting. I encountered a lot of social rejection growing up, but in spite of that I was always praised for my art. This created a kind of identity crisis, but as my attraction to spirituality and psychology grew, I’ve reconciled this and now use it for balance.
Finding and maintaining self love and acceptance have been notable struggles that have changed the way I live. Also welcoming and discerning the things that want to come into my life while honoring what wants to leave, sometimes regardless of my preferences.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I express my art through drawing and painting, focusing mainly on characters and figures. Art is one way for us to empty the reservoir of emotions that collect as we interface with reality. Our spirits enter bodies and the body walks the world as the mind creates a persona. The persona feels the complexity of life, and existential crises are had. Art is a way to purge and understand this pent up energy.
I give the characters that I draw expressions and body language that make me feel alive or remind me of people and times in my life which have done that for me. My taste for shapes and style is something that I think sets my work apart. The way I combine realism and abstraction is another.
I am proud that even though my style of art is not standard for my industry, I have become an asset because of it.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Obsession and an undying fire to make my art in order to fulfill the purpose I’ve chosen for myself. The causality of doing so has established an orbit of people and scenarios that help structure my life and stave off the demons of depression and worthlessness. When people don’t have to fight those mental wars, we are able to dedicate energy and focus to build instead of defend or merely survive. The psychological ecosystem is delicate, but a sense of purpose and the love that can grow from that is crucial for a solid foundation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jeffdekal.com
- Instagram: @jeffdekal
