Hoxxoh (aka Douglas Hoekzema) has a unique way of making time appear to stand still. When you observe his artwork, it ambiguously draws you in, like observing a portal that welcomes you to step inside. An inviting gravitational pull. With the use of various tools and techniques, he paints massive scaled murals that are intended to stop the passerby in their tracks, if only for a moment, to pause and contemplate and hopefully disengage momentarily from the chaos of everyday life.

Instagram: @hoxxoh
Website: elhoxxoh.com

First thing you do in the morning? 

Coffee…drip…black.

What would your superpower be? 

Teleportation. The ability to bring myself to one place or another in a split second would make both my life and job a lot easier. As that would involve the splitting of atoms I would be interested in how they come back together…another form of organized chaos you could say.

Best advice you’ve been given? 

Be persistent.

How did you get your start as an artist?

I started to paint murals when I was 15 years old in High School in 1995. My parents were very supportive of my interest in art. I have always had a balance of working in a studio and in the public. Then in 1999 An Architect, Michael Krupnick, selected me to paint a mural for a Jazz club.

I continued to study the arts in college and I received a 5 year degree in Architecture, a double major in Art History and Painting with a minor in Philosophy.

When I graduated in 2008 the real estate market crashed. I thought I was going to become an architect and I soon found myself with zero job opportunities.  I found a job at a lumber mill that worked with salvaged wood. I spent a year working at the lumber mill all day and at night I started to focus on painting again behind my friend’s tattoo shop. This is when I discovered the mark or spray paint technique that I’m still working with today. This is also the beginning of my interest in mark making devices or mechanisms.

What kind of tools do you work with the most? 

Dust pans, paint pendulums, spray paint and garden irrigation tools.

My work has been process driven and experimental with a focus on technique for the past 10 years. Spray paint was the first mechanism which led to working with paint pendulum and various types of dust pans (troughs/plates). The paint pendulum is a suspended 1 liter bottle with paint in it and anchored to the ceiling. The pendulum makes two patterns, one is a spiral and the other is a parabolic curve.

Your work is featured all over the world, where has been your favorite place to paint so far? 

Grenoble, Paris and Miami are my top 3.

What type of shenanigans do you get into when you’re not making your mark all over the world? 

Kayaking and camping or simply enjoying time with my wife and dog at home. I enjoy having my family join me on the road wherever and whenever they can. Being out in nature is calming for me amidst the chaos of city life. Luckily for me, being in Miami, it’s always just a short drive away.

How do you prepare for each project you work on? 

There’s always prep work involved before a production, I work alongside my manager to iron out all the logistics in preparation however, each mural and painting is bespoke and plans constantly changed so we try to be prepared for the worst. Machine rental and paint orders are the top key items to lock in prior, apart from the design of course.

Can you walk us through your creative process a bit?

Currently I’ve been creating paintings in my studio and then scaling them up for murals. I enjoy reacting to the challenges of working with your limitations and trying to discover ways to change those limitations. How can I find moments or patterns in chaos and then recreate those moments? I like to create situations for discovering a new mark or pattern.  For example… I’ll find a spot on the floor in my studio and then I’ll try to figure out how the accident happened then recreate that situation.

What is the largest piece you have done so far? 

A 135 foot tall mural in Miami on the side of the Arlo Hotel. It took myself and a team of 5 to complete the mural in a little over two weeks.

How long does one of your murals typically take to complete?

Depending on the size, style, technique, weather…multiple factors in fact, anywhere between 1-2 weeks. I like to enjoy my time on the wall and often stop to reflect and interact with the passer-by.

What are your thoughts on Crypto Art, and do you think artists can benefit from NFT Marketplaces? 

I think the NFT market place is here to stay and it’s fascinating to see how artists are finding their own lane. I have released NFT’s myself during the early stages of the phenomena so have an appreciation for the work, planning and dedication that goes into the medium besides the concept itself.

What kind of a story do you hope your art tells? 

I hope my art inspires the viewer to create their own narrative. I don’t have an agenda or message to deliver. I’m interested in the narrative between the public and my work. I hope that my work creates a moment for the public to engage and that it enables a dialogue or moment to disengage from their everyday life.

A lot of the shapes you create allude to portals, and even have some sacred geometry. What is the significance of those patterns to you? 

They are great tools for organizing chaos.

What are you currently working on? What is your next adventure? 

My next adventure is working in my studio for two months. Last year was extremely busy with mural projects and I haven’t spent time in my studio since January 2022 and I’m excited to get back in there to create a new body of work for 2023. That being said, it’s hard to stay grounded and the itch to get out and create public art takes over. During the summer of 2023, I have trips planned in The Netherlands, Italy and Hawaii.