Perfecting his craft since 1997, DOES is a multidisciplinary international artist recognised for his dizzying choice of colours, clean style and eye for detail.
Taking root in graffiti art, traditional letterform is Doesâs primary love. He maintains that different hand styles betray elements of their owners' emotional landscapes, putting personality traits subconsciously on display. Only using the letters D, O, E and S as a foundation, he continues to elevate these etchings to new heights. Through an explosion of colour and shape, letters assume narrative.
Doesâs continuous search to innovate and perfect his style display his disciplined nature. Dedication, focus and self-restraint are engrained in him after living the life of a professional soccer player until the age of 28. This path was set at the age of 9 when he was selected to train with the youth selection of one the Netherlandsâ professional soccer clubs. As an outlet to his existence in the public eye, he lived a double life as an aspiring graffiti artist.
While home alone, couch-bound and recovering from numerous injuries, his talent continued to develop in elaborate drawing sessions. When he was forced to give up his career as a professional soccer player due to injury, it presented a new opportunity: the chance to focus solely on his art. Having already committed many underground years to the graffiti scene and style, he quickly carved out a reputation as one of the best exponents of the craft.
Although his style is very pure and true to its cultural roots, Does doesnât want to be bound by what some call the graffiti rulebook. Self-taught, his inspiration is derived from memories not only from his native country, but also extensive travel abroad. His art is now also featured in collections across the globe.
Back home, Does is co-founder of the LoveLetters crew, a creative collective of ten European writers, and a member of the Ironlak Family. Ironlak, an established Australian paint brand, named a colour after him: Dieci Does. This name is a direct reference to the shirt number he wore as a professional soccer player - number 10.
Over the years, Doesâs work has diversified into illustrative drawings, prints and canvasses. No matter the medium, his work breathes exuberance â bright, dynamic, and full of energy, Doesâs meticulous craft and worldly attitude make for instantly recognisable artworks.
