PENCIL / CHARCOAL

Booth C26

Von grew up in Southern California and has been captivated by artists, musicians, and authors for as long as he can remember. His first known inclination toward the arts came at the age of five, when he attended a Van Gogh exhibit and, upon returning home, recreated one of the paintings from memory. Although Von enjoyed drawing from an early age, he gravitated more toward music during his formative years—beginning with piano and later transitioning to guitar.

In his junior year of high school, Von became a founding member of a rock band called Quarantine, where he played guitar and served as one of the band’s primary songwriters. Quarantine performed extensively across Southern California and became a regular act at the world-famous Whisky a Go Go in the early 2010s. Their talent caught the attention of various established artists such as Lita Ford (The Runaways), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Twiggy Ramirez (Marilyn Manson) All That Remains, U.F.O., and eventually film director Marcus Nispel (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Conan the Barbarian), who invited the young band to write the theme song for his film Exeter. Von co-wrote the theme song, and seven of Quarantine’s tracks from their debut album were featured in the movie.

In addition to his work in rock music, Von collaborated with a Danish artist on a series of Nordic folk songs that were later translated into multiple languages by fans. Torn between continuing his education or pursuing a full-time career in music, he chose to juggle both paths, ultimately earning a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

After the band’s eventual breakup and shortly after graduating, Von transitioned into the medical field, becoming an ophthalmic surgical technician for surgeons in both Santa Cruz and Sacramento. He spent seven years in medicine and was on track to become a Physician’s Assistant before making another career shift—this time into cybersecurity. Today, he works as a security analyst for a leading company in ethical hacking.

Despite his varied career trajectory, the arts have remained a constant in Von’s life. Following a major life change and move in 2022, he decided to dedicate himself more fully to drawing and painting, returning to his first artistic passion with renewed intensity and was commissioned by the esteemed actor Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul).

Von draws inspiration from a diverse range of artists and writers, including Kurt Cobain, Elliott Smith, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent van Gogh, Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, and H.P. Lovecraft.

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