Clayton Cortez

Clayton Dumisani Nkoana, born in Mokopane (Limpopo), moved to Johannesburg at the age of 4 and is currently based in Pretoria Soshanguve. He is an expressive and innovative artist, always aiming for perfection in his creations. Clayton is also an entrepreneur in the field of clothing and sneaker customization, a venture he established in November 2018. His inspirations include beautiful and surreal creations, fashion, animation, and a desire to excel in everything he does.

Denim jackets are his favorite canvas, but he also customizes T-shirts, trousers, and sneakers. Clayton's passion for painting lies in mixing colors to create new shades and using specific brushes to craft masterpieces. He graduated from Tshwane University of Technology with a degree in Public Management/Public Affairs, overcoming significant challenges to become the first in his family to graduate.

Clayton's favorite part of being an artist is expressing his unmatched skills, while his least favorite part is the pressure from certain individuals. He is working on being more assertive and ensuring fair compensation for his work. Clayton believes in adding extra touches to client orders to make them stand out and always strives to meet deadlines.

He draws inspiration from Oworthen, an American customizer, and God, whom he views as the ultimate visual artist. Despite not seeing himself as an artist growing up, Clayton's talent emerged during university when financial struggles led him to monetize his art. His recent favorite project is a Riky Rick 2-piece set made for @SenzoAfrika for Cotton Fest, which garnered significant attention.

Clayton's dream is to become one of the best denim customizers in the country, establish his own custom laboratory/store, and teach the next generation. He advises upcoming artists to stay true to themselves and work hard, as dreams are met halfway. His favorite quote is, "I didn't put in so much work to stay forever in the hood." Clayton aims to be a living testimony that nothing is impossible with dedication and hard work.