Don Horn aka BABA
I paint without a sketch or an eraser; corrections are unnecessary when I'm in the flow. The pen is guided as if by a ghost's hand, and what comes out surprises even me time and time again. I've been doing it this way for as long as I can remember – and I never learned it any other way, why should I anyway?
Banana Bastard is what came out of it. Here you can see the best of a decade – over 5,000 motifs, all by me – from the first stroke to the finished sewing pattern. No team that helped me, everything you see here was designed by me.
I went through media design, electrical engineering, and programming – all self-taught, because it interested me, never because I had to. In 2016, digital art was added, then 3D sculpting in VR. By now, I have built over 50 characters as 3D sculptures. Most recently, music production and photography were added – because standing still is not an option. Tinkering with the system is just as important to me as the result.
I don't drink alcohol, I exercise, and I paint every day. Not because I want to live a healthy life – but because it gives me the energy I need to make 1,000 designs a year, and plenty of other things alongside that. That only works with a clear head. Even if the name suggests otherwise – it is international, unique, and fits the style perfectly damn it.
Banana Bastard is for everyone who celebrates uniqueness and has no desire for mass-produced goods. This is a revival – for all fans of the original Mad Magazine, 90s cartoons, and psychedelic art that you won't find a second time anywhere else. Raw style meets precision. Those who don't want to see it still have to look. I just do what I like. Always have. That's the only secret.
