2023 - 2024
From 2023 to 2024, I moved to LA and my career in fashion and retail began to feel stifling and singular. Graphic design began to fill like a dying career (death by division) cause by AI and Templated work and apps like Canva. However, my passion for art and illustration was on a rice being in a place of such inspiration. Entertainment had always been the industry I felt most pulled towards. I began working on my solo practice, and building my illustration skills back up, post my 2-year hiatus.
2019 - 2020
From 2019 to 2022, I was in Japan for a study abroad program, immersing myself in Japanese fashion, language, and art while creating some of the most enjoyable work of my life. My love for anime deepened, as I explored its cultural significance and the practice of mangaka. My return to the states was a shaky one, COVID-19 was in full swing, and I struggled to find my balance. From 2021-2023 I stopped drawing altogether, and focused more on commercial work. I slowly began to go by Davon during this time, but still publicly as Pondo, even though I stopped producing art...
2016 - 2018
From 2016 to 2019, I was in Chico, CA, juggling multiple graphic design jobs while studying Illustration at CSU, Chico. I was caught between the pull of my heart, which wanted to be an artist, and the practicality of pursuing commercial design as a career. I went by David/Pondo during this time.
