Nagel was born in South Africa and grew up in Durban. As a part of the Durban surfing community he participated as a member of this subculture of surf and skate for most of his life. Since his artistic beginnings, he attended art classes and one of his first accomplishments was ABSA Bank award for children that he was awarded when he was seven years old.[10] In high school he worked and studied under the guidance of Scottish artist Fiona Kirkwood.[11] During that period, he experimented with a range of popular mediums such as drawing, charcoal, painting and sculpting.
