About

The Art of Deadfish

Hi I’m Elton, the guy behind the Art of Deadfish.
I’m Gold Coast based but was born and bred in beautiful Mount Maunganui on
the North Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand). After a somewhat misspent youth I worked in the screen printing industry before eventually moving to Australia in 2000.

Failing art at school because I refused to draw what the teachers told me to, I
followed my own artistic path and explored a wide range of styles over the
years.  My process is just to create whatever is in my brain in the moment and I
often have no idea what a final piece will look like when I begin.

I am a strong advocate of mental health, with art being the one consistent
thing that has helped me through some of my darkest days.  One such time
saw me paddling out into the ocean with the most powerful compulsion to just
leave my problems behind, let go of the surfboard, join the fish and forever
become one with the ocean.  Thankfully, a moment of clarity brought me back
to the present and I didn’t follow through, but that experience was the
original  inspiration behind the name The Art of Deadfish.

Primarily I use spray paint and acrylics on  canvas, high quality paper or
directly onto skate decks as well as creating digital art designs.

My pieces are highly reflective of my love of the ocean, surf, skate and graffiti
culture and often include elements of social commentary with my own unique
take on the world around me.
  
Thanks for checking out my work.
Kia Kaha,
Elt