HAMPTON, Va. — "I knew I wanted to be an artist, but I didn't see a path."
Dathan Kane knew from a young age that he wanted to be an artist. Even so, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would give the normal answers: doctor, lawyer, etc. However, he just couldn't stay away from art.
Art is Kane's calling.
"I told myself years ago, I really want to take this seriously," said Kane smiling and looking around a garage covered in his art.
Kane followed his passion and went to college.
"I attended Virginia State University for my art and design degree, and I came out, and I was still trying to search for this visual language to find my voice," he recalled.
He started to explore and find where he fit in. He found just two colors that spoke to him.
"Black and white, to me, just represents the duality of life," Kane nodded and continued, "In life, we go through different things, but it's just how you respond to it."
Kane found his niche as an abstract artist who only paints in black and white. Going by the name DKane, he looked for a place to put his art.
"I fell in love with the public art scene. I was seeing murals on different walls, and I was like, yeah, this is a direction I want to go in."
His murals now line the walls across the East Coast. You can find DKane's work in Charlottesville, Richmond, Baltimore, and the list goes on. However, Dkane plans to keep a lot of his work in Hampton Roads. He grew up in Hampton and is now living in what once was his grandmother's house, working out of his studio in the garage.
"I just have this internal motivation," Kane smiled, then continued, "I'm painting if I have five bucks to my name," he laughed.
His paintings evoke looks and glances because of the black-and-white look.
"The absence of color is something that I wanted to be a draw, something that kind of compels you to ask," Dkane said. He took a brush and swiped a line of white on his canvas; a smile cracked, his nerves settled, and DKane was in the zone.
"There's this feeling that anything is possible when picking up a brush."
Everything he paints is freehand. For most of his murals, he only uses a ladder — no lift. DKane said he loves using a ladder because he feels closer to the wall.
"If I'm working with brick or cement, you never really know; the wall just kind of tells you what to do," he said.
One wall he loves dearly sits on Wine Street in his hometown of Hampton.
"That's a special mural," DKane said. "It's titled 'Next Door.'"
It's special because it's one of his first big murals and because it honors a member of his family.
"That mural I created in honor of my great-aunt Katherine Johnson of NASA," he smiled. Yes, royalty in the STEM world runs in his family. He beamed with pride as he looked at the mural in honor of his great-aunt.
Another mural that he cherishes coats the CAN Foundation in Newport News.
"I'm driving past, and I'm like, sometimes I'll see a mural, and I'm like, 'Wow, I was there,'" he laughed as he looked at his work titled "Lift Up" on the CAN Foundation.
This foundation holds significance to him as a young artist.
"I love to see how they were able to pour into the community," DKane smiled and went on to talk more about the foundation, "There are a whole array of things that the CAN has been able to do over the years, and it's been great to be a part of it and see how artists have been able to develop over time."
He has other murals in Newport News and Hampton, but his work also canvases the Southside. One mural, in particular, was a game-changer in how people view his work.
"I had the opportunity to create a mural for Pharrell, Something in the Water, and White Claw. Massive opportunity," he said.
An opportunity that put him in the spotlight for big names and a significant atmosphere. He knows how big this is, but he still wants to keep most of his art here in Hampton Roads.
"People will often ask me, 'Why don't you move to New York or LA?' And I'm like, 'We have something special here,'" he smiled and looked around his Hampton garage.
You can also find his work, which, instead of lining the walls, hangs on the walls in other spaces like Assembly Norfolk. However, for this public artist, his goal is to reach you even from your daily commute.
"[I want to] Engage with the public that might not step foot in a gallery or museum space. How can I reach that community? And public art was my way of doing that. I wanted to make sure I started here at home."
You can even dine next to his artwork in restaurants across the 757, like Commune. You can also find his work on coffee bags, beer cans, album covers, and, of course, public walls.
"When you think of art, oftentimes you do think of color. But when it's not there, you're questioning, and you're curious now," Dkane said.
He knows people won't always love his signature style, "Even if you're not feeling it... you're still engaging with the work, and I feel like that's really my job as an artist."
There may be some haters, but DKane also has a lot of supporters. "The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it's something that keeps me going, you know, to keep doing this as long as I can."
He also hopes other artists see his success and know not to give up: "Hopefully, this inspires the next wave to come after me, and you'll see more murals pop up."
And as for the big question, will DKane ever add color to his work?
"I'm never going to say never. But for now, black and white is truly authentic to me."