About

“Oh, you’re making die cuts,” someone said over his shoulder while he was busy making posters to wheat paste, and while not knowing the words for what he was doing until that exact moment, that very name “Diekuts” would stay with him from then on. Born and raised in San Diego, Diekuts grew up into graffiti. Surrounded by a neighborhood of artist friends, he looked up to local graffiti legends like Onions and Neko and, from them, drew the inspiration to take his hobby more seriously.

Determined to step up his street cred, Diekuts’ few graffiti spots turned into several, and in addition to expanding his territory, he diligently tended to them and kept their presence alive in the concrete jungle. Going out 5 days a week to touch up or paint over a rival gang’s dis from the night before was standard routine back then and necessary to hold your own.

Having an artist’s natural urge to expand his aesthetic, Diekuts eventually moved into new avenues and began painting on found objects like alley trash and wood shipping pallets. Transforming these discarded finds from the street into art or functional furniture proved to be fun and rewarding and it wasn’t long before people started asking him to make them custom pieces.

Diekuts’ long admiration of reclaimed wood and natural unrefined style has led him to his current business, “Something Rustic Furniture.” Diekuts’ work can be seen in various art shows and installations throughout San Diego as well as his most recent spray paint addition to SILO.

Photos and article by Carly Ealey

Art independently curated by Chris Konecki. For more information on art in Makers Quarter™ contact: art@makersquarter.com