Meet Dorian Davis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorian Davis.

Dorian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My personal affinity for art has taken shape over time.

From drawing comic books of black superheroes with my best friend as a child to creating intimate series pieces as an adult, art has always been my outlet of expression and sharing myself with the world.

Now, as an adult artist, I run my own business, DorianTroy Studios, an innovative, creative company that specializes in digital illustration, creative conception, and visual storytelling.

Recently, I moved back home to Raleigh, NC after living in DC for four years. This migration back home gave me a new sense of inspiration and artistry, so much so that I collaborated with my personal favorite artist, my 16-year-old sister, to create our first joint project: AfroCare 2178 in Black and White.

We created this coloring book together, in the middle of the pandemic, to provide people with a creative outlet during very tough times. Specifically, as Afrofuturists, we wanted to create a book that depicts black people in their diversity and beauty as we see them in the future.

From print collections to coloring books to commissioned pieces, I hope that my work inspires an emotion that sparks a change in how we view society and ourselves to one of truth, positivity, and love. I thank you for the opportunity to interview with Voyage, and I want to welcome you to my studio.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This journey has not always been easy, and nothing great seldom is. The most important thing creative can do is be true to themselves. For most of my early years, I felt out of place and different, which is what first drew me to art as an outlet to express my emotions.

Struggling with being a queer, black boy early in my life had a profound impact on why I create the stories and pieces that I do today. Thankfully, I had a loving family and community who continued to uplift me, which is why everything I create ensures that those misunderstood see themselves in my work.

Turning the work that I was already doing into a business was a delayed blessing because of my own self-doubt. Creatives often are very self-critical of their work, and it is terrifying making that jumps from a “hobby” to trying to make a living off of your work. I never wanted to be a “fast artist” who churns out pieces that I’m not connected with or that I don’t feel positively impact people.

I think it’s very easy in this society to try and keep up with how fast-paced everything is now, even creativity. I try to keep myself grounded in my artistic values so that I don’t become consumed by just going after the next, quick art fat, and stay true to my work.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hi! I am DorianTroy, and I am an artist. I have been creating all of my life, and specialize in creating collections surrounding blackness, Afrofuturism, and queerness.

As an afro-futurist, I believe in creating a world where black people exist wholely in the future without condition. My artwork and storytelling encapsulate that Afrofuturism vision by focusing on not showcasing black people as monolithic, but in all our diversity, beauty, joy, and struggle.

My love for Afrofuturism started in childhood as I was a huge comic book fan and loved anime. Although not common, I always loved seeing black superheroes make their debut in these spaces because it put to paper exactly how I saw everyday black people in their natural existence.

My projects, including my first print collection AfroCare in 2021, and now my adult coloring book, AfroCare 2178 in Black and White continue this reimagination of my people. I hope to inspire others – including nonblack people – to become Afrofuturists, because we indeed will exist in the future, unashamed.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on me just like it has on the rest of the world.

I am grateful that the only physical changes for me have been where I live and work, but for many, this pandemic has completely uprooted their lives. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was so much uncertainty about society and life, and I often struggled with finding a way to adapt.

The pandemic experience is actually what inspired me to create the AfroCare adult coloring book. Art, again, was something that saved me and my sanity while being on lockdown. From finishing old scripts to launching my art business, having a creative outlet was something that always got me through tough experiences.

With this coloring book, I wanted to provide others who may not consider themselves an artist, to find joy and peace in creating. This coloring book is not just filled with outlines, but it also tells a story and provides readers with self-care mantras to help ease some of the stress of life.

I hope that this coloring book helps people become their own artists and relieve some of the stress that the pandemic and everything else going on in society has placed on us.

Contact Info:

• Email: dorian@doriantroystudios.com
• Website: www.doriantroystudios.com
• Instagram: @doriantroystudios
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doriantroystudios

Image Credits
Javon Roye of JPR Photography (jpr@jprcreate.com)