D*Face

D* FACE (London, 1978).
“Sweet nothing,” 2013.
Silkscreen on paper. Edition 33/75.
Signed and numbered by hand.
Measurements: 70 x 100 cm.
“Sweet Nothings” clearly encapsulates his subversive pop aesthetic, strongly influenced by the visual language of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. The work takes the iconography of classic comics as its starting point, reinterpreting it through a critical and contemporary lens. In the composition, the imagery of Pop Art is disrupted by the appearance of distorted figures—reminiscent of zombies or skeletons—which introduce an ironic and dark interpretation of mass culture, consumerism, and the idealization of images. This contrast between the colorful and the macabre is one of D*Face’s hallmarks, as he transforms the language of advertising into a vehicle for social criticism and visual reflection on the symbolic death of pop culture.
D*Face is a contemporary British street artist best known for his distinctive graffiti, stickers, and posters displayed in cities around the world. Featuring recurring images of celebrities and punk iconography, D*Face’s work is characterized by its vibrant graphic aesthetic and its focus on consumerism and the ways it shapes everyday life. His diverse range of influences includes skate culture, early New York subway graffiti, pop art, and Shepard Fairey’s Obey campaign. Born Dean Stockton in 1978 in London, England, he worked in advertising and for publications such as Thrasher magazine before embarking on his own artistic career. Reportedly a friend of the famous anonymous street artist Banksy, D*Face’s identity remained a mystery until 2008, when he revealed his name to the public. “I don’t think it’s necessarily relevant for you to know who I am in relation to my work,” he once explained. “The work speaks for itself, and if it doesn’t speak for itself, then I like people to reinterpret it based on their own perspectives.” The artist lives and works in London, England.