Toronto, Canada, Nov. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diogo Neves shows that going after your dreams is never a bad idea when you’re passionate about what you do. He’s had an incredible arc — but it definitely came with its own challenges.
Diogo’s nickname, D-Snow, comes from his last name Neves, which is Portuguese for ‘snow’. He started playing the drums at the age of nine and eventually joined a rock band. He had a knack for music — playing the piano and guitar along with playing the drums — but he’d hear for years that he shouldn’t be stuck in the back. He was a singer for his band, and the spotlight was where he deserved to be — but like all great artists, he never saw himself being front and center. He just loved making music, and loved making art too. He started tagging on the streets of Brazil at 14 years old but then took his art more seriously. He’d ask permission to paint graffiti – and with his Walkman stereo and a couple of cans of spray paint, he’d paint all day and get lost in it. At the age of 21, his mother gave him a choice — either go to the local university or live with his brother in Canada. After being robbed three times in the span of a month — and at gunpoint, no less — it wasn’t a hard decision for him at all.
When he arrived in Canada he started working in construction with his brother and continued with it for 12 years. His brother played the bass, and they grew up playing music together — but Diogo didn’t play music for his first two years in Canada. Then they met someone who would become their friend and discovered he also played music. They found two Canadian singers and put a band together. After switching out the singers for a solo singer, they toured and played across Ontario for two years — and even debuted a CD — but they eventually disbanded.
His life was a series of ups and downs, held together by his unwavering resolve and passion. Diogo tested and played for UGO CREW, got conned and robbed by a church-going music producer, released his first solo CD at The Mod Club, and started performing his own solo shows and featuring for seven years with artists like Portuguese singer Ana Malhoa. Meanwhile, Diogo was still working construction and managing the company with his brother — investing all of his money into his music. But after having a son, investing everything into his music career didn’t seem like an option anymore. So he met with two multi-millionaires that wanted to invest in him, giving him a hefty contract and a paycheck to match — but all that Diogo ended up doing was working a 9-to-5 for an entire year in an office setting that drained his spirit.
After leaving the company he was lost, and didn’t want to resort to construction again. So he went to the one place that would calm him down: the art store. Trying something new, he bought a canvas and acrylic paint — never having painted on canvas before — and it was uphill from there. Diogo would post his art on his Instagram and people fell in love with what he created. They showed him love in the comments and commended him in his DM’s – and then he got his first inquiry about a sale. Diogo didn’t even consider selling his work, and let it go at cost. But then more and more requests came in asking to buy his artwork, and he began to see the possibilities.
He made a piece for Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr., who put it in his favourite part of his Parisian house. That single painting was seen by celebrities and their audience alike — when they would go to his house and pose in front of Diogo’s painting, sharing it on their stories and getting Diogo reach unlike any other. This was a segway into making art for the biggest names in stardom: Drake, Fetty Wap, Sean Paul, Megan Thee Stallion, Da Baby — only a few names in the impressive clientele Diogo built himself. He accomplished a few firsts in that time too — being the first to spray paint a Ferrari, and placing his biggest mural in the Picasso mansion in Miami. While this was happening, he secured deals with galleries in Toronto and Miami and was able to make money organically from his art alone.
Then Diogo reached out to Jeremy Bieber to make a piece for his son, Justin Bieber. He responded after a while and loved his work, and invited Diogo to drop off his art. He created art pieces for Jeremy, Justin and Hailey Bieber, a custom barrel for Justin Bieber’s clothing line Drew house and two more pieces of art that he dropped off at Jeremy’s home in Bridlepath. Justin loved Diogo’s work, and took one of his sculptures for his and Hailey Bieber’s home — and from there a partnership formed. After the Bieber family created their agency Bieber Industries, they signed Diogo — a start to their mission of helping burgeoning artists. Diogo designed the main logo and company design for Bieber Industries, the art for their warehouse, and now works with them.
The artist/musician has had a rollercoaster of a ride in his life — and at the age of 38, he’s only just getting started. No one knows where his journey will take him next — but if there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that Diogo Neves is sure to make a splash.
Jemilla Mills-Smith - +1 416-459-1611
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