Oscar Valencia Q & As

Oscar Valencia is a self made photographer & filmmaker with a unique background. He enjoys capturing the waves from the sand but doesn’t doubt on entering into the break in a good surf session. Black and white pictures and barrels are his weaknesses and probably the majority of his pictures.

As we have just introduced a new creative collaboration with Oscar, we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his roots and inspirations.

Follow Oscar Valencia on Instagram.

Hello Oscar! First of all, how are you doing? We are so excited to finally launch the collab together?

Hello, how are you? I am feeling very well, I am living a very nice time, especially now with the launch of our collaboration. I am very happy!

Could you explain us a bit more where you come from and which has being your path?

I come from Irun, a city next to the French border, where I started surfing on the beach of Hendaye. It was a time when we didn’t know what waves there were, but where we got hooked on surfing. Then I changed the sea for the mountains where I spent a long time, enjoying and competing but I wanted to continue my life linked to the sea.

Snowboarding and surfing from early age, how has this inspired your career?

Yes, I got into surfing when I was 13 but until I was 18 I could hardly go because I was playing football, until I decided that what I wanted to do was surfing. Then when I was 21 I did my first winter season and that’s where I got hooked and decided to enjoy the mountains for a few good years. Until I decided that that time was over and I wanted to feel the surfboard on my feet again!

If you could travel to any place in the world to film, where would it be?

I haven’t travelled for a long time, but I would love to go to Hawaii or Mentawais. Ireland is also a destination I’m really looking forward to.

We assume you must have incredible stories while filming with surfer. Could you tell us one of the best moments you remember?

Yes there are always good moments but also some not so good…ahahaha an incredible memory was in Teahupoo, while the biggest wave of the day was coming in, the ball of my leg went up, and I could hardly swim, there were tense moments but seeing the biggest and most beautiful wave I’ve ever seen in my life and being able to take a picture of it in front of my face, was a special moment.

Do you have some new projects coming soon? Talk us about them!

I have some good projects to come, but right now I’m finishing a very special project about the erosion and textures of the mountain where I live. All shot in 16mm. I think it’s going to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done…but we’re also starting a nice project with Deflow and Clovis, where I’m sure we’ll do something very special.

Could you explain us your filming and editing style?

Well, I consider myself to have a slightly different style of filming and editing, I come from the world of snowboarding, where every video transmits something to you, something that sometimes doesn’t happen with surfing, I try to go a bit further…. It’s very important to know what you want to film in order to know how you want to edit. I think that editing is where you can really make magic…

Thank you so much Oscar for been part of Deflow Family! If you want to add something more…

I would like to thank you for counting on me and it is a pleasure to be part of this family.

Oscar Valendcia x Deflow // Signature Model

A twin fin model has been designed for easier and more vertical turns than on the classic keel twin.

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by Joseba

Juan Díaz Faes Q&As

Born in Oviedo (Spain) Juan Díaz-Faes grew up drawing before studying Fine Arts at the University of Salamanca and, later, developing his career in graphic design, illustration, and muralism. Since 2017, cities such as Paris, Miami, Austin, Guangzhou (China), Punta del Este, Hamburg, Seoul, Madrid and Santander have had large-scale murals signed by this artist.

Juan Díaz-Faes has exhibited solo at the Point Éphémére center in Paris and at the Conde Duque Cultural Center in Madrid. His last group exhibition was at the Hyundai Museum (Seoul) and previously he has visited cities such as Barcelona, Madrid and Taipei.

The stories contained in Díaz-Faes’ bustling patterns are born in Le Cluf, the artist’s studio and creation space located in Castanedo, a small town in the province of Cantabria (Spain)

Follow Juan Díaz-Faes on Instagram

Hello Juan! First of all, how are you doing? We are so excited to finally launch the collab together!

I am also very happy that the collaboration is coming out. I already have the fin in my possession and it looks beautiful.

Could you explain us a bit more where you come from and which has being your path?

I am from Asturias (northern Spain) since I was little I always liked surfing and art. Although I was better at drawing than surfing haha. I studied Fine Arts in Salamanca, and since 2005 I have dedicated myself to drawing. I can’t even believe it. A few years ago, I moved away from the world of illustration a bit to focus more on personal projects and do more artistic work. Since 2017 or so, I have only done personal projects and I hardly take orders anymore.

Could you explain us your art style?

My artistic style comes from the world of comics, illustration, and advertising. I work with flat, not very pictorial colors. I am figurative by default, I always like to make characters. I am very interested in chromatic contrast, light/dark, and I always try to work with a single ink (not more).

How did you came up with the : | ?

For the fin, I used a fish pattern. Based on the mathematical patterns of M.C. Escher, I made my own one of white fish, which transform into black fish without the viewer realising it. In this case, since the pattern is marine, I thought it suited the fin very well.

How does surfing help you on your artistic process?

Surfing greatly influences my work; If there are waves, I don’t work haha. But regardless of what conditions my schedule (which luckily I don’t have) it also affects being patient, waiting for the good idea (wave), daring little by little to do something you haven’t done (surfing other places or bigger waves)… adding to the fact that surfing, as a general rule, has a young and risky tone that I think art also has to have, regardless of your actual age.

Taipei, Seoul, Paris,… how did you ended up showing your work in so many places?

YLuckily my work was liked a lot, and little by little people got to know it. Among them is the SOLO Collection, which has supported my work for years and helped me in many of the international projects that arise. Thanks to them, without a doubt, I reached all those crazy destinations. It’s incredible to see Spanish talent in some of the most iconic cities in the world. Could you tell us the next place you are going to be featured? Well, I’ve been exhibiting in Japan for a couple of months, I just landed (2 days ago) from Mexico, this week I open another Expo in Tokyo… the truth is that the pace is going crazy. Actually, couple of the fins from our collab will be present in Tokyo. If you are around Shibuya, you need to pass by 🙂.

Thank you so much for your time Juan! Looking forward to see you soon and make a small expo with our collab somewhere in the world. I’m sure we’ll see you soon. At the moment, the fin is already in Japan hehe !

Learn more about the Díaz Faes x Deflow collaboration.

Díaz Faes x Deflow // Cream 9,75

The collaboration between Juan Diaz Faes and Deflow brings you a unique design on one of our best longboard fins, the Cream 9,75.

Flex: Little

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by Joseba

Community of Surf Enthusiasts: Vero

Collaborations don’t always begin in our offices. This time it was a surprising message from one of our non-official ambassadors. “Hey I love this picture, would you mind sharing the original file so I can make some prints on riso paper?”

Vero is a graphic designer and artist based in San Sebastian. Enthusiast about the creative processes, the ocean and skate, Vero brought us this amazing print from the collab with Dead Kooks.

It’s amazing to look back and see the community we are building together, from our love to the sea, design and simple life. This is why we wanted to introduce you to Vero, and open this new chapter of the “Community of surf enthusiasts” serie where we will be sharing different profiles of people from our small community !

What the video to learn more about Vero and see the story behind her connection with the Deflow community below .

“My name is Vero, originally from Germany. Since a kid my sister and me liked to draw or to create things together out of different material, to explore no matter the outcome. So after school I travelled because I had no clue what to study or which field to work in. I decided to study graphic design and in my semester breaks I was working as a surf instructor. This is how I ended up in Donostia (San Sebastian).

Most people I collaborate with I met through surfing or skating. I fully appreciate when people surf or skate in their own way. It’s a form of art, expressing yourself in your own unique style. I like to create with others and explore new fields & mostly enthusiastic people are my main inspiration, when you start talking, creating an idea in your head, sketching it out and frothing about it to try to make it a reality, as well the struggle of learning new materials, techniques, asking other people for help. Sometimes you fail and sometimes it works it’s all part of the process. Like here in this Garage we have shared space to screenprint, develop pictures, tufting, shape and learn from each other. Where my friends started showing me how to build my own boards.

Deflow always had some good imagery and I liked how they value artists. I especially loved their incredible shots of the fins, when they collaborated with Dead Kooks.

One day in Zarautz I met Joseba (part of Deflow) in the water and through a friend we got together to print one of pictures in A3. At the same time I joined the Riso summer school in Bilbao of “another press printing studio” and as a result fell fully in love with this technique. I knew immediately that this image just needed to be printed with riso. So Begoña from Another Press helped me realise that vision. (In Tabakalera, there was another riso group founded to investigate and experiment. It’s generally an amazing place where people can connect, meet, learn, create & investigate together.)”