Meet Dan Roche

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Roche.

Hi Dan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started creating when I was 18. I was raised in a Muskogee Creek household as an only child. I was beginning to work through my own gender identity. My work shows progress over the years until I came out as a two-spirit. Coming out and creating allowed me to express myself fully. It also was the only authentic way I could connect with people.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It is more smooth now, but the journey here was difficult. Although I’m proud of my cultural background, I was raised in a Baptist household. My grandma was a survivor of a residential school. The pressure and trauma from that sometimes put our family in a position where expressing ourselves beyond Western constructs wasn’t’ acceptable. I am biracial, so I also felt like an outsider on both sides. It was not until I moved out on my own that I could explore my identity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, tell us more about your work next.
I am a visual artist with a background in fine art, graphic design, murals, and screen printing. I’m mostly known for my contemporary take on pop art. My subjects are blue and pink “femme” presenting people. I’m mostly proud of my larger pieces and murals. What sets me apart is having a recognizable, defined art style. My color palette and subjects stay the same. Having that doesn’t restrain me but allows me more freedom of expression. My style is fluid; I can fit my art into illustrations and murals, and the designs tend to fit in with garment screen printing.

We’d love to hear about your fond memories from growing up.
My favorite childhood memory is when my mom used to take me to the arcade every Tuesday night. I was an only child, and my mom was a single mother. We didn’t have a lot of money, so any extra money she had, she saved it for Tuesday nights. We would eat at our favorite restaurant and spend the rest of the night playing games at the arcade. We went so much that we had an account where we’d save tickets to get the big prizes.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrockyy/