Jason deLeeuw (Delayo) is a charcoal artist based in Aurora, Colorado, with a BA from the Art Institute of Colorado and a background in practical SFX and film. He has been drawing since early age and works almost exclusively in charcoal, focused on portraiture and identity.

Artist Statement

I work in charcoal because it doesn't let me hide. Every mark is a commitment, there's no erasing your way out of a smudge once it's down.

I'm Dutch and Indonesian. Delayo is the Dutch phonetic pronunciation of my last name, deLeeuw — I started signing my work that way to pull my heritage back into it, on purpose. Identity and ancestry show up in these drawings whether I plan for it or not. The marks we carry on our faces are kind of the whole point.

I'm drawn to darkness because that's where the form actually shows up. Charcoal starts black, and you work backward to find the light in it. That's not just technique to me. I've spent a good part of my life learning that clarity doesn't come from avoiding the hard part, it comes from walking straight through it. That's true of the drawings. It's also just true.

— Jason deLeeuw / Delayo, Aurora, CO
·  d3layo.com  ·  delayofx@gmail.com  ·  @d3layo

Education

The Art Institute of Colorado, Denver, CO 2010

Selected Works

Mother Monster — Charcoal - 2026

Eyes of the Eradicator — Charcoal & Pastel - 2026

Collections

Works held in private collections, United States

Film & Production

You Wake to Find Yourself Alone in the Woods, SFX Lead - 2024

Reliquary: Confessions‍, SFX Lead - 2025

Commissions

Available for original commissions in charcoal, illustration, and SFX sculpture. Inquiries via d3layo.com/workwithme

CV current as of 2026. Full portfolio at d3layo.com