Doran Starks is a self-taught artist, designer and creator under his brand “GDMRNGWORLD” - a creative platform used to tell stories of emotion, hope and triumph through various artistic mediums. Initially using illustration as his main medium, Doran based most of his subject matter around his love for cartoons, 90’s pop-culture, and music heavily based in southern culture. Upon graduating from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art, he decided to pursue a full entrepreneurial career in the Arts. After gaining notoriety for his creative work with Atlanta’s 808 MAFIA, a contract with Toyota Showcase (a group of creatives implored to develop content for music festivals such as A3C and AFROPUNK) allowed him to relocate from his home in Cincinnati, Ohio to Atlanta in 2018 where he currently resides. His style can be described as pop and playful, yet with serious undertones, using targeted colors to provoke emotional responses. The signature “Sun Symbol” in all his works represent “A New Beginning”. As an artist, Doran’s ultimate goal is to establish an environment in which other artists, particularly minorities, can learn, develop, and access the opportunities to make a living off of their creativity.