D*Face  (British) 

D*Face (British, b.1978) is an elusive London Street painter. His identity remained a mystery until 2008, when he revealed his real name to be Dean Stockton. Stockton was raised in London by working class parents and admits to having been fascinated by Graffiti from an early age. In the 1980s, Stockton was introduced to the magazine Thrasher, which he credits with changing his life. The graphic images, punk references, and skateboard designs inspired the artist's urban style. As a young man, he dreamed of visiting skate parks in California. However, his parents were poor, and this was not an option. At the time, London did not have many skate parks, and the young man had to be resourceful if he wanted to skate. This made him look at the city in a different way and influenced his art.

Stockton did not excel in school and had problems with the education system. He spent time in the advertising world, which he found to be both manipulative and interesting. Advertisers could put their work anywhere without raising objection, and this inspired Stockton to do the same. His giant Graffiti-like paintings appeared overnight on London streets. Stockton admits the art was just for him. He was unaware that other people even paid attention to it. He painted the images that he wanted to see and rarely listened to the opinions of others. Stockton completed his projects largely anonymously. In a recent interview, the artist proclaimed, "I don't find that it's necessarily relevant that you know who I am regarding my work. The work speaks for itself, and if it doesn't speak for itself, then I like people to reinterpret it for their own views."

Stockton’s paintings feature bright colors, graphic shapes, and comic book images. One of his most famous pieces, Green Lady, is based on artist Vladimir Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl. The portrait features a figure with a drooling skull face and cartoonish ears dressed in a realistic Asian gown. Another, Queen Elizabeth, features the monarch sporting green hair, a nose ring, and razor blade earring. Stockton commonly infuses his pop-culture style with landmarks and famous works of art. Celebrities such as Christina Aguilera collect the artist's work, and L.A.'s Corey Helford Gallery has displayed Stockton's pieces.