Meet Damian Gary | Illustrator & Graphic Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Damian Gary and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Damian, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m an illustrator and graphic designer who lives in New Jersey, although I am originally from New York. I grew up in The Bronx. If you know us New Yorkers, we are very outgoing, creative, colorful, whacky human beings. I’m also African American and Puerto Rican. That alone is enough to let you know how extroverted I am. Growing up in The Bronx, I was surrounded by art – graffiti to be exact. There wasn’t one building I saw that wasn’t covered in colorful illustrations, murals, or graffiti. When you look at my artwork, you can see New York street art reflected in it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The art that I create is how I see the world. My art is mostly just random characters doing random things – expressions, close up, or centered. Sometimes the artwork can be simple or chaotic. They can have a deeper meaning or no meaning at all. I am proud that I am learning more about color combinations and blending my characters with backgrounds. I’m always excited to learn new creative things that can help me grow as an artist. I wouldn’t say I am a professional just yet, I am still starting out and new to the professional aspects of the illustration/graphic design industry. A lesson I learned was how to think outside the box. Think big, be yourself, and try not to compare yourself to others. We all have are strengths and weaknesses. I see the world as a cartoon, full of life, adventure, and whacky events. I want people to enjoy my art and smile when they see it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For a week long trip, I’d take my best friend to Brooklyn due to its artistic atmosphere, then we’d go Manhattan, and lastly we would visit where I grew up in The Bronx. I would take them to places I went to growing up and places I recently visited, such as Battery Park, The Museum of Natural History, the MOMA, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, etc. I would also take a day to go sculpture searching. There are so many amazing art sculptures in New York. We would go to Times Square at night and just take in all the colorful lights, activities, and music. Don’t forget that New York is filled with very creative and outgoing people. We would also see a Broadway play. I’d love to visit Coney Island because I don’t remember if I’ve ever went while growing up in The Bronx. We would visit ramen places, like Ramen DANBO in Brooklyn. For a quick bite, let’s not forget the pizza, pretzels, hot dogs and shish kebabs! I would also take them to a trip down memory lane of where I grew up The Bronx to see my old school, old playgrounds, bodega stores I visited, The Bronx Zoo and botanical gardens.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to my fiancée (soon to be wife) Rachel who encouraged me to go to School of Visual Arts and supported me throughout the years.

Website: tubbie2k.com

Instagram: @tubbie2k

Image Credits
All images were created and belong to me, Damian Gary.