Derek Toomes

Visual Art – Raleigh

Inspired by graffiti, skateboarding culture, and urban landscapes, I combine these influences in my works and incorporate any number of media. By using rich textures, luxurious colors, and hand-drawn lettering, I both compliment and provide a stark contrast to my other techniques more traditionally rooted in gritty, urban culture. In doing so, I often mimic street art and its transience, while adding a touch of the urbane. This process allows my work to evoke a sense of high culture and, at the same time, critique that culture.