DON was born in London in the 70′s but was brought up in Borneo in his early years. When he returned to the UK he developed a passion for street art:
“I’d been bought up in Borneo and when I came back to England, felt the confines of the concrete jungle around me. But it was to be a blessing. I looked at the stone and concrete walls in a different light, I saw them as vast spaces ready to be painted and moving spaces were even better. Trains … like cheetah in the wild, were fast, got everywhere, but most importantly, were always ‘spotted’. I quickly learnt that a jungle kid could settle into his new pack when he earned himself respect from his name and ‘got up’. I was just 12.”
DON has been a member of several crews and is currently part United Artists, whose original members include “Duster UA”, one of Graffiti’s pioneers and highly respected Street Artist from The Bronx, NY. DON continues with his Street Art but now also produces works on canvas. He can be seen working in the Leake Street, the dynamic are where artists such as Banksy, create and display their work for the public to enjoy. DON can be seen on the YouTube video, “Art Wars on Leake Street”.
It’s DON’s lateral thinking and social conscience combined with his sense of humour that has caught the imagination of the general public. Buyers and owners come from all over the world including Australia, USA, France, Norway, Japan, Germany and of course, the UK. These include celebrities such as: Ian Brown from Stone Roses, Roots Manuva, Ruby Wax, Calllum Best and the actor Jason Flemyng as well as other private owners. Corporate clients include the film industry and companies such as Brugal Rum. He has also carries out interior commissions for both corporate and private clients.
This quote from Don summarises his feelings about the graffiti movement:
“I’ve taught children at an East End school to nicely mural a wall. I’ve convinced myself that you don’t have to cling on to a carriage late at night, under a tungsten light, to be seen the next day. I’ve had my knuckles slapped and paid the price. I have conformed as much as I am able for now, bringing my art to TV, film and business interiors. From being employed to tag a Batman set, WOW one of the best cities I’ve tagged … graffiti stays in my soul, the movement, the colours, the people, the sounds. Beat street, hip-hop and those crazy, crazy legs are going to be around for a while longer and I’ll grow with it, it’s time has come”.