Damian Jim is a versatile painter who works with acrylics, spray paints, paint pens, ink, and digital art. His works are largely abstract and figurative, and include influences of surrealism, comic book art, and graphic design. Some of his work contains Diné mythology and traditional forms, which in combination with modern methods of production and aesthetics, often portrays musings of the subconscious within the context of science fiction.
Damian’s early influences are Michelangelo, Salvador Dali, and Picasso, to name a few. His early pen work reflect surrealistic figures and landscapes of Dali, and pen work of Pushead. These early pieces use various inking methods, creating a variety of textures that led him to experiment with color using watercolors and colored pencils.
Earning his degree in graphic design allowed him to strengthen his work with color, and excel at typography and black and white line art. Damian was able to create paintings with great depth and dimension. His first job as a graphic designer at Twin Rocks Trading Post in Bluff, Utah, led him to integrate traditional stories from Navajo mythology into highly technical drawings and designs, often in a closed circular format. These powerful geometric compositions were then woven into baskets and rugs by leading Navajo weavers, thus jumpstarting a revival of Navajo basketry.
Damian subsequently began creating more works on canvas. These colorful abstract pieces have similar aesthetics to the work of Kandinsky, featuring bright geometric line work overlaid on black, or multi colored backgrounds. Today, Damian’s classic black and white line work, geometric series and surrealistic elements are emulated in his current digital art, which use various methods of transparency and layering. The multi-layered works created from slowly building layers of clear acrylic gel and liquids to form paintings rich in color and depth and line work, and correspond to the layering Damian uses when creating digital art using IPAD applications like Brushes.
Damian Jim’s work portrays stories of strength, transformation, and perseverance in the face of adversity. The versatility and skill of his technical process is expertly articulated in a variety of mediums; from street art to canvas, digital art to his own t-shirt line, Damian’s work is highly recognizable. His layering techniques, the depth of the sub-conscious worlds he creates, and the detailed forms found within them make his art highly recognizable. At this point in his career Damian challenges himself to expand his skillset and explore materials to continue to express the stories that are still waiting to see the light of day.
DamianJim.com 