C. J. Deakin Biography
C.J. Deakin was born on the 25th October 1989 in Ashton under Lyne, at Tameside General Hospital of Greater Manchester. Growing up in the late 90s and early Naughties the town in which Deakin was growing up was undergoing major change. He witnessed old mills being demolished or renovated into housing, this was often the playground of choice for him the dereliction of this time is reflected in his work and you can still be seen in his work today. Also, at a young The Lowry Art Gallery was opened and during school trips as a child Deakin was inspired and influenced by the Artist L.S Lowry. He went to study at Ashton Sixth Form College where he nurtured and developed a stronger interest in the arts. He achieved A-levels in Art and Design. In this course, he learnt how to develop personal responses to ideas, observations, experiences, environments and cultures in practical, critical and contextual forms. All that knowledge gave him interest and enthusiasm for art and design.
After finishing, he tried to enrol in the Manchester School of Art but he was declined at this time, for that reason he decided to move to Liverpool and start the Foundation Course of Art and Design at Hope University in 2008. Deakin was throughout many relevant experiences in his life, like the independence of living in his own in a new place, meeting new people whom will be friends later, he found new ludic experiences and he found love. The most relevant experience for him was found love in two different girls at this time and he reflected his feelings in the canvas. He started to use blue, greys and he played with the contrasting colours. In addition to these feeling and expressions, he uses a strong influence of music feeling dragged for the vibrations. Despite, in 2012 Deakin finished the BA Hons in Art and Design with Art History. He went on to specialise in 2D art particularly Oil Painting. In the meantime he was studying, he was looking for exhibitions to exhibit his artwork
and surprisingly for him, Deakin had his first opportunities in the Central Art Gallery Tameside. It was an open exhibition and he presented as a masterpiece “The Last Hug”, oil on canvas. It was not the first exhibition for him because the last years of University did a show and he submitted the “Scratched Vinyl” 2013, in St Lukes Liverpool. - It was a drawing with a difference, based on the ideas of drawing with a twist -. Afterwards, he seems to be passed for a breakdown and he was forced to move back to Manchester because the situation. Most of his artwork changed to landscapes and the use of the grey or dark colours in his artwork. As every great artist, Deakin has got ups and downs in his life that made him change his point of view in style and palette colour. Today and since 2013, he is working as a self-employed artist based in Manchester. Submitting work to competitions and exhibitions as well as taking on commissions.