Lukas chips away at an artful career

"My interest in creating art began around 2009 in Queensland through the influences of street art, graffiti and skateboarding," explained Lukas.

Fast forward to 2023, and Lukas's obsession with street art recently saw him team up with Doritos to design the packaging for their 'Street Art Collection' of flavoured chips.

"I returned from painting walls overseas and got straight onto the mission of getting up mostly around the CBD laneways in Melbourne. Doritos contacted me completely out of the blue about partnering with them for this project. I never expected to get recognition to this extent, but sometimes hard work pays off in unexpected ways,” he said.

Swapping his usual canvass of laneways for corn chip packaging, Lukas used his graphic design skills to express his street art through a new medium, using bold designs to bring the pack to life on shelf.

"It's an insanely huge opportunity to show your work to the entire country like this, and I'm proud of the outcome. It's unbelievable that my art has blown up to this scale, but it's incredible what could happen when you're completely obsessed with your craft and work hard at it."

Describing himself as a dirty skating, graffiti and street art kid during his adolescence, Lukas studied with TAFE Queensland to help turn his art into his profession.

"I had a pretty interesting pathway through my graphic design course at TAFE Queensland, and I could never have imagined that I'd have the career I have today."

Knowing where he wanted to take his art, he felt his lack of digital design skills was holding him back, so he enrolled to study the Diploma of Graphic Design (CUA50720).

"When I hosted art shows, I couldn't make flyers or print stickers, and I'd have to ask friends to digitise them. When I wanted to build a website, I had no idea where to begin."

"So, I came to TAFE Queensland not seeking creative development but to learn typography, digital and online design and illustration to further my skills," he said.

Studying at TAFE Queensland's South Bank campus in central Brisbane gave him a base to explore, paint and attend art shows. And on weekends, he'd be in the art room producing work or a computer lab, learning how to create and design in a medium new to him.

"I focus on painting in all forms, specialising in murals and creating artworks from recycled or carved skateboards," said Lukas.

"The motivation behind my work focuses primarily on mental health, animals and the environment. I use various painting techniques and distinct visuals to combine these worlds through a unique display of monster imagery, colour usage, native flora and fauna and flowing line work."

"I've been lucky enough to exhibit, paint murals, complete artist residencies and host exhibitions locally and internationally, and now my work is on millions of packets of Doritos all over Australia," he explained.

He advises anyone seeking to turn their craft into their career to understand the enormous time they'll need to invest in the journey and be prepared to face seemingly insurmountable challenges.

"Transforming your passion into a full-time gig is a forever-changing rollercoaster, but I've never come to regret it as every day is a new wall, design, collaboration, design, and the list goes on… It's a hell of a ride!" concluded Lukas.

See more of Lukas' amazing artwork on his Website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channel.