Dejion Duncan a.k.a. @BASEFORYOURFACE is a curator, artist, and designer based in Denton, TX.

I have admired the South Dallas native’s work for some time now.

We first crossed paths with each other via Instagram in 2020. I have been fortunate to witness his evolution and dedication to showcasing his talent in many realms over the past two years.

Earlier this year, Duncan’s talent caught my eye again when he curated an exhibition filled to the brim with incredibly talented Black artists inside a gallery at our alma mater, the University of North Texas. 

This summer, we had a chance to connect to discuss his approach to building relationships, the inspiration behind his moniker “BASEFORYOURFACE”, his academic pursuits, first art sale, and more. 

DEJION DUNCAN

Imani Black: Something that’s big to me is community. I believe in building and cultivating it. I really like what you have been doing in the Dallas art scene and that was part of the reason I wanted to interview you. 

IB: What is your definition of community? How do you want to define your community? It could be what you’re living in or what you want.

Dejion Duncan: It’s easier to say how I go about it rather than how I define it. Being an authentic fan of people and having genuine relationships is how I go about it. I go for that more than “you’re cool, let’s work together.” 

DD: Most of the people I know, I haven’t given them any money or anything like that. They’re just f*cking with me off the strength of who I am. I’ll chat it up with someone for a year, strictly through the internet, never met before. 

DD: Dolphin Records, Rami, Lucky, Frito Gang. With Frito Gang, I was one of the first people they linked up with when they got to Dallas.

DD: Even all the artists in the UNT gallery, I had personal relationships with all of them beforehand, even the non-texas residents. It’s really just providing a space for people to be themselves and help them meet their material needs like making sure they get paid somehow.

DD: If you’re a fan of something or love it, genuinely support it. You don’t have to wait until someone meets a certain mark or status to truly enjoy something.

DD: I feel like I have acquaintances on acquaintances all around. As creatives, especially Black and Brown creatives who make up a lot of my spaces, I feel like there really needs to be a collective movement and a real effort for community. We need to put more intention behind it.

CURATING: THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS

IB: So, you’re a mixed media artist and a DJ, right? I know you mentioned you had a residency.

DD: Yeah, that really spurred from me being out in the Denton nightlife where Fry Street is the only play. I got tired of it, but I don’t always feel like going to Dallas. Sometimes I miss the Dallas energy and the scene so I try to bring something like that to Denton. 

DD: I hit up Tom’s Daiquiri and they started rocking with me. So I’m in the process of learning to DJ. Sometimes, I get on and do it, but I mostly book the DJs. That’s when you’ll see me invite a bunch of people from Dallas to come up and spin at the event.

IB: What is the event? I’ve seen a couple of flyers this year.

DD: It’s a dance night. 

IB: So do you have a DJ residency in Denton?

DD: It is mine but sometimes I’ll hop from spinning to being the person who books. I mostly book just because I’m still learning, so I don’t want to get up there and f*ck around too much. People in Denton walk up and give compliments and I’m like “oh that was ass” but like thanks.

IB: Would you say you’re more of a curator than a DJ right now then?

DD: Yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing more of lately. Curating nightlife events plus I curated an art exhibition at UNT.

IB: How did that curating opportunity come about? Was that your first time?

DD: Yeah, I’ve had my art hanging up in there before. But as a student, you submit a proposal laying out what you want to do for the show. Then a committee will vote on it. They liked my idea so they selected me and then I started planning out the show and hitting up everybody from all over + state-to-state.

IB: State-to-state?

DD: I had two artists from New York and one from Tennessee. I also had a couple of people from Houston and San Antonio.

IB: How many people were in that show?
DD: About 30 artists total.

IB: WOW, I had no idea. So when you went to the exhibition event I had in Deep Ellum earlier this year, did you meet some artists you were interested in for your upcoming show at the time? 

DD: I knew honey and had already hit her up beforehand about being in the show. And then I was constantly communicating with a bunch of other artists. I think I already knew Eniola, but that was my first time meeting her. And I was like “if you’re free, come to Denton for the show.” But yeah that’s how I met those two. 

DD: The group show I curated at UNT was in the Union. I liked that because the average student got to interact with the space with all those Black and Brown faces. Everybody isn’t used to that. I feel like it had a good impact.

IB: From the outside looking in, it was so dope to see the artists from the gallery I curated in another show. I also saw a lot of Black people. Was it all Black people?

DD: Yes.

IB: Ah, okay - that’s what I thought. Was it for Black History Month?

DD: No, but it happened right after that, so it was convenient. I’m glad they didn’t put me in February because that would’ve been cringe to me. 

– 

DD: I’m glad I’m still in Denton. It’s a testing ground. I can do whatever.

IB: What have you tested so far in Denton? I know Denton to be receptive…well, UNT specifically.

DD: Mainly with the bar and other ideas. I threw a punk show at Tom’s Daiquiri in February or March. I also help them pick their artists of the month. With other venues, it’s been kind of a hit or miss.

IB: I feel like those are growing pains and it's like that everywhere. As you keep doing this and advancing, you learn how to deal with everything better.

DD: It can get so annoying. People have one lens. Their vision is lacking.

IB: Hey, you are the visionary. You can bring it to life. It just takes time. How long have you been doing this?

DD: At least a good solid year.

IB: I really like that you do the art and event curation in Denton because I don’t remember that kind of stuff when I lived there.

DD: Sometimes I feel like I missed the mark because I feel like if I did it during that time period, pre-pandemic, people would’ve been more receptive because I was more in tune with the student population. Now post-pandemic, the traffic is a little weird. I’m not as connected to the students and a bit more removed. 

FIRST FINE ART SALE

DD: When you’re working in curation, you’re pretty much in the position of pitching artists to a collector or another opportunity or just to someone who wants to know or meet the artist. 

IB: Yeah, Daisha Board Gallery, I admire her gallery and go to her events. She’s the bomb. I see what she does for her artists. She goes in. I’m super inspired.

DD: Daisha was one of the two people who put me on. Her and Dr. Gillepsie at the Pencil and Paper gallery, a black-owned gallery. It was the last day at 500x Gallery at the first art show I was in. I went there to pick up my work and Daisha was in the gallery looking at my art. She asked me questions, then she asked to buy. That’s how I met her.

IB: Wow! I really like that she looks out for Black people and other POC. She’s super inspirational. I didn’t know she was a part of your story as well.

DD: She ended up curating a show at 500x that had BIPOC and my piece was in it. Daisha really helped legitimize me as an artist. She was the first person to buy my work and curated the second show I had ever been in. 

IB: She was the first person to buy your work?

DD: From a fine art space, yes. That was my first legit sale.

BASE FOR YOUR FACE ORIGINS

IB: Your name on Instagram is @BASEFORYOURFACE…where does that come from? I know Public Enemy says that in their song called Can’t Truss It.

DD: That’s so funny, how do you know that song?

IB: My dad played it growing up. Is that where you got it from?

DD: Wow, that part in the song you’re talking about is sampled in a Lil B song, “Base for Your Face”. Flavor Flav was like “Hey, bass for your face everybody make some noise!” That’s wild that you know the original source. 

IB: I didn’t know Lil B did that. I like Lil B…well I like two songs but I think he’s a cool person. 

DD: Dang you're a historian. Nardwaur in here. 

IB: My dad plays Public Enemy all the time.

DD: I really like the Lil B song and the beat. At first, it was just an Instagram name but as time has gone on - people think it’s a brand or artist name. 

DD: Some people call me Base or BASEFORYOURFACE. I’m still like “do I want that to be my name?” It was just a funny Instagram name. I like just going by Dejion. I haven’t fully claimed it, but I like going by my name.

ACADEMIC PURSUITS

IB: I know you graduated from UNT. You said you were there from 2018 to 2021 - what did you get your degree in?

DD: B.A. in Technical Communications. 

IB: What’s that? 

DD: It’s a lot of document writing and translating the hard stuff that the engineers and coders are working on so consumers can understand.

DD: However, I’ve learned from working with bars and venues, you don’t need to be that professional with them. You just need to know somebody who works there and walk up there to talk.

IB: I know you said you were interested in getting your Masters in Fine Arts. What would your concentration be? 

DD: It would depend on what I want to work in. I think studio art or interdisciplinary to explore what I like.

DD: I wasn’t in the realm of the arts when I was in college. I feel like I missed out on a good amount of time to strictly be in that zone and to think about nothing elset. When I look at all my peers - they focused on that - so I’m just like “damn, when am I going to have the time?” When I get off work, I’m not about to pick up a paintbrush or do anything.

IB: How are leveraging your degree? What have you learned thus far? 

DD: I feel like I’m somewhat doing it now with my mixed media work. 

DD: I was having a conversation with a mentor about this. When you look at my page, I feel like it’s a bunch of stuff with no real focus on what I’m doing. You’ll see a flyer for a club party one day, then you’ll see a t-shirt, and then you’re seeing a fine art gallery. 

IB: Do you have to limit yourself though? Can’t you do it all?

DD: Yeah, exactly I can. 100% My homie Blue in New York. I kind of look up to him a lot because he’s not a master of one. He’s into so many things and doing it at a high-quality level. 

DD: I do want to be centered more toward the art realm though. I don’t see it as a super desirable position to be just a creative doing commissions, video work, and t-shirts. I want to focus strictly on art and the curation part. 

INFLUENCES

IB: Who are your influences?

DD: Terence Nance, Anthony Blue, everybody in Dolphin Records and Jeremy Biggers.

IB: Who is Jeremy Biggers? That name sounds familiar.

DD: He’s done a lot of murals around Dallas. You’ve definitely seen his stuff before. Ciara Elle Bryant - she does a lot of installation art in Dallas and curates a little bit. She’s also an educator. 

DD: Those people inspire me mainly because they’re all connected to Dallas or Texas. They’re in the bag I want to be in. I’ve been a fan of their work. 

IB: What do you want for yourself next? What’s your ideal world?

DD: Making some type of impact. With the UNT show, what I was truly happy about was that I know the people walking through that building don’t get to interact with fine art a lot. They got to see themselves on the walls and spaces like they never have before. I want to continue to try to make an impact like that.

DD: I want people to learn from what I’m displaying and get inspired. Like how art has made me feel when I’m watching a Spike Lee movie or I’m looking at a painting by Nina Chanel Abney or Basquiat. I want people to feel the impact of my work.

DD: If I talk to a psychic who tells me my future and they tell me I never transition to NY, LA, or overseas - would I stop making art or stop what I’m doing? 

DD: I tell myself “no”. I really care about this and I love it. I really love it. It’s a part of my life no matter how it looks or exists.

*All photography captured by Imani Black unless otherwise noted.