Meet Will Harris (Dieumoda) | Multi-Medium Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Will Harris (Dieumoda) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Will, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
To live in a world that feels off-kilter, is a point of view that many share but may never voice. That’s been my experience from the day I was born. Most children say “mom” or “dad” as their first word, mine was “shoppin”; true story. I always went against the grain, it’s in my DNA. I can’t do anything normal. If I see a crowd of 500 walking one way, I’m going the other – that’s the heart of artistry. I create to bring new ideals to light. I create to bring people together. Art is able to transcend cultures, time, theologies, dimensions; it’s ethereal. I appreciate the fact that it’s powerful and through mastery you can become immortal.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The central theme of my work is organized chaos. I like to take juxtaposing forces and create from the void. I’m eager to further spread the vision. I’ve rapped for almost a decade. I blend high end fashion and streetwear on a day to day. My paintings reflect the way I view the world. I bring a different cadence to my pieces. You might look at one of my pieces and hear a MF Doom verse, or see a Margiela replica sneaker. I draw elements from Surrealism, Brutalism. I draw from my life experiences, and try to keep a keen eye for the slight nuances most overlook. Attention to detail is uncanny. Everything has flowed naturally to this point. As an adolescent, I painted as a hobby. My pieces were raw, authentic. Fast forward, I’m still paintin pictures. Career wise, I wouldn’t have imagined I’d be displaying work at the gallery level. One evening, I took up a spontaneous invitation to a real estate event. I walk in, red Balmain & Task Force button up – dolo. I wanted to force my way into different rooms; just to open my mind. Initially, I was throwed off. No one there was “my kind”, but discomfort breeds growth. The manager of the space – Octavia, approached me to ask who I was. I introduced myself, and told her I was an artist. At the time my art was expressed through music and clothing design. She instantly extended an opportunity for me to show pieces in a gallery setting. I tried to call her bluff, and received a contract the next morning. That’s when I realized it could be real. A skillset I thought was gone, ended up changing my life forever. Sometimes all you have to do is flow. This journey has been constant learning every step. I bought the highest quality material. I studied daily. All my time, all my thoughts, went to the canvas. The first show was a month after I picked up the brush for the first time in 15+ years. I completed 10 pieces in 30 days. Many don’t even understand what goes into 1 completed piece of art. You have to varnish the canvases. Each painting has to be strung. The process is tedious. From the moment I started, I was operating full time at a high level. I sold a piece at the grand opening, and I instantly saw how far I could take it. In a year span, I did 5 solo exhibitions, amassing over 40 pieces. Each show, I saw gradual expansion. The projects continued to elevate. I had the opportunity to do an art staging for ESPN. I’ve been able to meet some cool people on this journey. The CEO of Alexander McQueen requested a tour of 1 of my exhibitions. He was familiar with my work. We talked art, fashion, and business. That was a high point in my career. Another, was the Dieumoda World Art Gala. This was my largest event to date. It was great working with Anna Akpele, 505 Courtland, the Heavy Market family, DJ Montana, DJ TMC, Knaan, LA, Blake Ellis, Hannah Myton, Devyn Canty, Olivia Sancti, Taryn Johnson, Nonoiz Media, and many others. We came together to make history. There were over 150 people present. It was a meshing of individuals from different walks of life. I had a chance to display my art, home decor, and clothes. We ate caviar, drank champagne. I performed music, and told my story. Countless people told me that the event was unforgettable. That was the best night of my life. The beauty in this process, is to have relief from depression and anxiety along the way. A lot of times you can hold negative energy from different things you aren’t even aware of. I’ve been able to share my experiences and resonate with people. I’ve learned to trust self; trust God. One of the greatest challenges of being a Multi-Medium Artist is switching the parts of my mind that fit the medium I’m communicating through at that time. It’s moments where I have an idea for a song, while getting inspiration for furniture design. It’s tough to extract everything at the max level. My Louis notebook is a top 3 tool for me. I take notes constantly, I don’t want to forget anything. I designed a small side table in my head, and handcrafted it in 2 days – ground up. As soon as it was completed, I recorded the last 2 songs for my latest music project, “Paintin Pictures with Mud”. Ironically, they’re the people’s favorites right now (Feel! [prod. Knaangotdadope] & Motion Picture [prod. Themillerchild]). Shortly after recording “Feel!”, I finished a painting I felt moved to complete. This is just an example of how my mind works. The ideas are constant, and I have to be clear as possible. This ensures there’s an organic flow. Art is my life. I’ll never cheat the game when it comes to the quality of my expression. Everything is calculated. Everything has a message. If you are doing it just to do it, you’re better off not doing anything at all. My biggest goal is to leave a positive impact on the world. It’s about using your gift to unite the community. We have to spread awareness on the importance of being your highest self. I want to leave an indelible legacy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Man I can’t say too much, but I’ll give some game. You gotta hit the Atlanta Symphony Hall. Classical music is good for you. I learned that it relieves stress, enhances dopamine functions, and boosts memory. A couple months ago, a friend and I went to catch Black Panther scored by a live orchestra – too crazy. Next, visit Three Alliance Center Buckhead, tap in with Mission & Market – order duck curry over black rice. After, go to the 21st Floor for the new Dieumoda Art Residency at Serendipity Labs (Open 2/16). I’m high on functional fashion. Sliding to Heavy Market is a must – good clothes & good people. From Kapital, to Snow Peak, or Vintage Heavy, they have crazy pieces. Shout to Repeat as well, they’ll get you fitted. 2 of my favorite art spaces in the city would have to be Gallery Anderson Smith & Johnson Lowe Gallery; that’s family. Here and there, I check in just to see what’s going on. I saw an original Basquiat at Johnson Lowe, valued at $6M. That’s something you only see in movies. You can never go wrong with a few nights at Nobu; modern architecture & sushi mix well. Tap in with Painted Pin for competitive nature. Spaceman is fire for ambiance. Hit East Palisades Trail to get the blood flowing. Hiking and biking is therapy. Mudfire Pottery is a cool spot to create 1 of 1s. I definitely recommend stopping through the Porsche Experience Center. You can drift a 911 at noon, and view Porsche’s you never knew existed. That’s enough of sharing the kit though. Overall, peace of mind is the bottom line. It’s important for me to engage in activity that supports mental health; this keeps the art pure.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to Ma Dukes, coolest mom in the world – my twin. We went back to back Margiela at the Dieumoda World Art Gala, one of the highlights of my art career. Shout to my whole family. Shout to Octavia for helping me get my foot in a gallery door. Shout to the Eastside. Shoutout every person that’s bought a piece of art, came to a show, listened to a song, saw the vision. Genuine support mean the world. Shout to black women. Shoutout TMC, Hitplay & Knaan for producing sounds that narrate my thoughts. Shout to my Pops for copping me the Playoff 9’s before I was even aware of what’s going on. Shout to my lil brudda, we building this brand for our last name. Shoutout all the prayers that went up on my behalf, let’s keep em going. Big shout to God. Long live the fallen, I do it for them.

Website: dieumodaart.com

Instagram: @dieumoda

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-harris-72a380274/

Image Credits
Nonoiz Media, Jenay Smith, Shotbylv