About
Tom Deams is a prolific graffiti and street artist based in Tasmania. With a career spanning over three decades, his unique artistic talent has graced walls and urban spaces across the globe, leaving an indelible mark on the world of street art.
Born in the mid seventies in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, Tom discovered his passion for art and graffiti at an early age. Fascinated by the vibrant street art culture beginning in the UK at that time he began experimenting with spray paint and other mediums in 1988, marking the inception of a lifelong artistic journey.
In 2018, Tom made the move to Hobart from Bristol UK. It was in this vibrant, creative hub that he found his niche and made his mark in the street art community. Inspired by the unique Tasmanian landscape and the eclectic mix of cultures in the city, Tom's art began to evolve, blending traditional graffiti elements with contemporary influences.
Tom's work is a testament to his mastery of color, form, and narrative. His murals often reflect the essence of popular culture from cartoons to variant typography or 'Stylewriting'. A keen observer of the world around him, Tom uses his art to spark conversations about colour and the environment.
Over the years, Tom has taken his artistic talents beyond Hobart, embarking on international journeys to showcase his work. His murals have been found in major cities across the world including Bangkok, Dubai, London and Sydney each one telling a unique story and contributing to the global tapestry of street art.
In addition to his public art, Tom has been involved in numerous community projects, using his skills to inspire and mentor aspiring artists. He believes in the transformative power of art and strives to empower individuals and communities through creativity.
As a stalwart of the street art scene, Tom continues to break barriers and push the boundaries of whats possible in the world of street art. He adds a splash of color and imagination to the world, leaving a legacy that resonates with generations to come.
Flying
For some street artists it is the process rather than the final outcome that is the motivation behind their craft; and to watch Deams (Deamz/Deamze) honing yet another complex, multi-layered, semi-abstract burner to within an inch of fracturing, exploding, and flying off the wall into orbit, is to see a man truly in love with the act of painting itself (coincidentally deamo means ‘to be passionately in love with’ in Latin). And who can blame him? As any self-confessed aerosol-addict will tell you, propelling multi coloured spray paint onto a wall all day is, at its deepest, a form of moving meditation; relaxing, exhausting and hugely rewarding, all at the same time.
Now well into his third decade of painting, Deams’ style has reached that plateau where it is uniquely, unmistakably, and utterly his own. Whether painting his cartoon-like, beveled-edged straight letters; super complex retro-futuristic burners; or indeed, those open abstract spaces that seem to explore the insides of letters; a Deams painting identifies itself at a hundred paces. Deams is a ‘style writer’ in the truest sense of the phrase.
Felix ‘FLX’ Braun 2014.