Perth Voice Interactive

CHANCES are you’ve seen Daek William’s art: his metres-high murals boldly emblazon buildings around Perth.

The 31-year old admits to having committed graffiti in his misbegotten youth, “but I was more into murals, so I didn’t have that bad-boy attitude… I wasn’t very good at it”.

For 10 weeks William’s locked the door of his North Perth home to focus on his latest exhibition, The Sword and Society.

He describes painting for up to 17 hours a day as lonely and stressful, “but it really honed my skills”.

The exhibition is a long way from the street art he’s used to; not being subjected to weather and building owners provides more control, for example.

The series of portraits presents the past and present, entwined with icons of the 21st century.

“The sword was the paintbrush and society a myth of people I have created…I have created a whole world.”

The almost darkly brooding portraits are an imaginative blend of mythology and mediaeval, a fantasy of storytelling, based on real people, including one of William’s girlfriend.

“A lot comes from my childhood, a lot comes from travelling,” he says.

Inspired by the old masters, who used common items to signify hidden messages, William’s art has secrets of its own, such as Northbridge’s longitude on a ring thumb: “It’s fun if you can figure them out,” he says.

Ever since his first solo exhibition in 2013 he’s painted his way around the world and collaborated with artists in New Zealand, Indonesia, Melbourne, the US and the UK.

“From a painting tour alongside artists Yok and Sheryo in Detroit and New York to immersing myself in the abandoned suburban red zone of Christchurch’s earthquake torn city with artist Ian Strange, I’ve driven thousands of kilometres and seen some amazing sights.”

You can get a sense of William’s wonder of the world at Linton and Kay Galleries, St Georges Terrace, Perth when The Sword and Society opens August 1 to 15.

by JENNY D’ANGER