This autumn, street artist Jacob Root (aka ‘Distranged Design’) swapped life in Ōtautahi Christchurch for an extended stay in Los Angeles, the city that first inspired his artistic career five years ago. We ask how he’s been making his mark on the City of Angels.

Not all that long ago, Jacob Root was a fresh-faced Christchurch school leaver laying down a future in graphic design. Such was his flair in the subject that he had left school a year early to enrol in a design degree at Ara. Then, in 2017, his life took a different course following a family trip to LA where the city’s many galleries and vibrant street art scene made a deep impression.

‘I’d always had that artistic side but seeing it there really pushed me to have a go at painting and street art and it kind of went hand in hand with what I was into at the time, like skateboarding,’ he says. ‘From a young age, I’d always stencilled and painted my own skateboards too.’

The LA experience lit the touchpaper on what has proved to be an eventful artistic journey. After the trip, Jacob set to work learning all he could on urban stencil, screen, paint and spray techniques, pouring untold hours into practice and experimentation. He completed a year at Ara before gaining six months’ experience in signwriting with Paul Walters at Identity Signs. The next big step involved going out on his own as Distranged Design. ‘I ended up taking over my father’s brew/garden shed and turned that into my studio for a time. Mum and Dad were both really supportive and think it’s quite cool how things have worked out for me.’

Gradually the hard work began to pay off with Jacob’s pieces accepted in group shows at venues like The Welder and CoCA. In 2019, he landed his first solo exhibition at the XCHC, Distranged. The 22-year-old has long since moved on from his father’s shed having established a dedicated painting studio/office space in his apartment near the XCHC.

Ideas for his art come from what he sees around him – coming-of-age stories, love and heartbreak, happiness and sadness – as well as his own feelings and experiences. He is inspired too by the work of other artists, ranging from Basquiat and Warhol to contemporary California-based creatives like Punk Me Tender, Shepard Fairey and Tristan Eaton.

Jacob’s vibrant mural of Audrey Hepburn – Shine so Bright – on the corner of St Asaph and Manchester Streets is emblematic of his signature style and penchant for silver screen icons with a feel-good factor. Audrey Hepburn’s humanitarian work struck a chord with Jacob. Her drive to help others is part of the message in this memorable piece.

‘There has always been something about Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. With my artwork I like to tell a story and the way they were photographed really helps me to do that. You can look at a photo of Audrey Hepburn and instantly think Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It just works so well.’

Interestingly, Audrey Hepburn has made a reappearance in Jacob’s latest LA work. At the time of our interview, Jacob had just completed a mural for a PodShare non-profit shelter initiative in the city aimed at helping young people coming out of foster care with nowhere to live. It shows Audrey Hepburn in elegant side profile alongside a fizzy background of blue, yellow and red bearing the words ‘You are your home’.

‘They wanted something that would connect with these kids. It was quite cool seeing these young people taking photos of it and getting all excited. They had a go with the spray cans – I let them do a bit of the background – and they all really enjoyed being a part of it.’

Jacob spent a few weeks in LA in 2019 but this year’s visit was planned as a deeper exploration over several months, giving plenty of time to soak up what the city has to offer. ‘I really like how fast it is here. It truly inspires me. There’s constantly something going on and there’s opportunity everywhere if you’re hungry enough to find it. I’m living in a reasonably priced studio apartment on Hollywood Boulevard. I would never stay here again because it’s so loud all the time but it has definitely been an experience!’

One thing led to another after Jacob landed in California in February. In his first weeks, he painted Eyes Talk – a striking mural of a girl’s face in close-up detail – at the Fame Yard in Melrose, a celebrated parking lot where new pieces are constantly going up on the walls. It is a high-profile site and Jacob’s work there directly led to the PodShare piece and other commissions.

His mural was noticed by an organisation seeking to shine a light on Black history through murals and art. They then invited Jacob to complete a series of iconic portraits at Centennial High School in Compton from late March. While nervous about Compton’s violent reputation, Jacob ended up deciding to go for it. ‘If the work helps to uplift people, it’s a job well done in my eyes. There are a number of other artists involved and we had a list of people to choose from. My first three murals were of Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Donna Summer, right on the front of the high school and the next ones at the back of the school will include Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams and a couple of others.’

Being an artist in a city far from home – without a vehicle – comes with its own logistical challenges. Jacob got good advice from other artists while working at the Fame Yard on where to source art materials. He has been walking or taking a bus to get what he needs before catching an Uber back with everything. ‘It’s a massive task and, as you may imagine, getting all the paint from Hollywood Boulevard to Compton is a pretty interesting exercise!’

Building contacts and connections with galleries for his canvas pieces has been another focus for Jacob in LA. One new project has involved a canvas/stretched wood collaboration with Radikal Neon, which specialises in creating LED neon art. ‘It’s a stencil portrait with “Let’s run away” written in neons across the top. It’s exciting for me as I haven’t worked with neons before. It’s actually a couple of New Zealand guys who started the company and they’ve moved it to Los Angeles as well. Their faces lit up when they heard my accent. The finished work is going to a gallery in Malibu.’