I was commissioned by the team at RIOT SKATE CO. to create a set of six skateboard decks that pay homage to the iconic visual language of Jim Phillips’ 1980s skateboard graphics. This project celebrates an era where skate art was loud, rebellious, and unapologetically expressive - designed to hit just as hard on the wall as it does under your feet.
Each deck features a grotesque, high-energy character rendered in a bold, fluid style. Exaggerated expressions, twisted anatomy, and dynamic movement drive the compositions, pushing personality and attitude to the forefront. The linework is heavy and inky, with thick black outlines and flowing curves that nod to classic comic books, hot rod illustration, and vintage skate graphics.
Colour plays a central role in the series. I leaned into an extremely vibrant, high-contrast, and psychedelic palette - neon pinks, electric blues, blazing yellows, and deep purples - layered with abrupt transitions and sharp white highlights. The result is a collection that feels chaotic, playful, and slightly unhinged, capturing the raw spirit of 80s skate culture through a modern lens.
This series is both a tribute and a reinterpretation - respecting the foundations laid by a legendary era while pushing the visuals into something fresh, loud, and unmistakably RIOT.
