What’s this? It’s another fine interview in our tradition of fantastic interviews here on Springleap! Yes, and this time round, we have a most unusual and entirely talented creative lined up for you - none other than the notoriously sharp artist simply known as Skullboy!     Welcome, Skullboy! For those who don’t know you, please let us know who you are and what you do. I am an artist working under the alias of ‘skullboy’ and am based in sunny Durban. I went black in 2010 and never went back.   So, you’re a designer at Modern Museum, but your art is pretty diverse and most of it wouldn’t fit into a ‘graphic design’ pigeonhole. Do you consider yourself an artist or a designer, or are they one and the same to you? There are often overlaps but I think that as designers we often make the fatal mistake of assuming that what we do is ‘art’. It’s really not. Art and design are completely separate for one simple reason: design has an actual function. Art can be whatever you want it to be whereas if a piece of design isn’t fulfilling it’s requirements, it’s a fuck up. That’s why why my design work is so different to my art - art is the one place where I can say “Go fuck yourself, Mr Client” and do whatever crazy shit I feel like. But design pays the bills, so what can you do? Let’s just say I’m a designer/artist working hard to become a artist/designer.     Much of your work has an honest, emotional quality to it, and strikes a quite personal note. Is this intentional, or do you find that’s just the way it comes out?   Maybe a bit of both. I truly believe in creating work that resonates and connects with the viewer so I guess in a sense it might fall under intentional. I’ll start a monologue through a piece I’m working on and sit back and see what comes out.     In your ‘Lost Supper’ and in a few of your other pieces there’s an almost sinister quality to the characters, which comes across through both the text and your trademark slit eyes - is there a darkness you’re looking to portray, or has this become a trademark style of yours?   I spent many years when I was younger trying to create beautiful, positive things. As I slowly realised that people are bastards and that we all have snakes (fear, decision anxiety, pride, the come-down) living inside us, that’s when I started being okay with making uglier and uglier art to portray what I saw in others and myself. I’ve never been happier.         Name some of the creatives who’ve inspired you over the years and have had some influence on where you are now. There have been too many to mention over the years but these days, I get more inspired on ‘vibe’ more than style. Work ethic and world view give me a lot more inspiration than a nicely crafted line.   What’s next for you, and do you have exhibitions lined up? There’s one or two group shows on the horizon, but my plan for the next few months of work is bigger, better, blacker and show outside of Durban as much as I can. I’m really excited.   Like this, and want more? Step right this way and tuck into Skullboy’s website.