ArtFashionLiving the Fuck Out Loud

painkiller cam is your daddy: street artist, muralist, future icon

February 12, 2022
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Life is a constant thread of inspiration for visual artist Camaron Parker aka @painkillercam from Freeport, Ill. An eclectic style connoisseur, he embodies all things glitter, mesh, tulle, and the disco area. And it’s his unique flair that catapulted his notoriety onto the big stage during Grammy-award-winning musician Lizzo’s 2019 concert.  In one epic moment with one hair flip, the crowd raved as she revealed Parker’s stunning portrait of her on the back of a long and flowing denim jacket.

Prior to the concert Parker took a leap of faith and says he DM’d Lizzo’s stylist requesting her entire teams’ jacket sizes and with nothing more than his meet-and-greet pass, front-row concert tickets, and a bit of confidence he was set on making good on his promise thinking, “It’s gonna take a mountain to not let me get these jackets to them at a meet-and-greet.” 

Off the beaten path

 “If you can snatch my tongue out and pull the rest of my body inside out… it’s everything that I think about,” Parker explains with excitement and grandeur about the essence of AFROPUNK showing up in his lifestyle and his art. 

Photographer – Evangeline Desjardins @lilmissevatookthese

Coming from a small town, the self-proclaimed life-changer knew there was more to life than the cornfields, racism, and gun violence that surrounded him. Being immersed in the arts since preschool, it was no coincidence that he’d be the successful artist he is today. With the support of his parents, his craft was nurtured and blossomed into his  unconventional and organic style. 

Ten years ago, when he took that faith-filled plunge of being a full-time artist, his parents showed up and assisted Parker during his creative transition, as they always did. On the idea of street art, surprisingly Parker felt, “Street art was too big or too gritty, I can’t do that, I should just stick to pencil drawing, I was thinking too small.” 

Until being asked to do a mural, he remembered what his parents taught him,

“Don’t say no before you figure out whether or not you can do it.” 

“Lizzo Mural” (corner of Nebraska and Columbus, Tampa, FL) – Cam Parker

He reframed his mind and attacked the mission with confidence. That snowballed into multiple mural paintings, along with is his most notable one early in his career, done of Lady Gaga. 

“Unconventional art is working from a place of discomfort, and uncertainty, bending it to your will and making it certain.”

“Need Something Done, HIRE A Black Woman” – Cam Parker 

This street-glam artist is influenced by some of the greats. Dennis Rodman, Diana Ross, Sylvester, Grace Jones, Dolly Parton, Naomi Campbell, and Viola Davis are just some of the people on the top of his list. 

“People who in their own industry, who are good at what they do,” are what sparks his inspiration. 

His current brand offerings consist of prints, pillows, skateboards, t-shirts with his artwork along with controversial topics, and more. 

After all his well-deserved accomplishments, we ask what’s next, for the Tampa, Fla. local, and, of course, the next chapter is bigger, brighter, and even more controversial.

Embedding his personal rebellion into everything he does, the art prodigy says his future plans include a full-spectrum lifestyle brand, including all the essentials from furniture to apparel, accessories, to art, to painting houses, stages, you name it, all with the street glam touch from Cam.

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