After battling cancer, Newport artist has 'Hope' for a brighter future

NEWPORT — Philip Easton has accepted his life’s path to this point, though it hasn’t always been an easy road. Now, with a new lease on life and a renewed determination, he’s looking forward to the remainder of the journey.

A city native who grew up in the Fifth Ward, Easton will present his art show, titled “Off the Curb,” at The Kings Lens & Friends at 7 Carroll Ave. The show opens Friday, July 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. and runs through July 22.

This will mark his first event since undergoing radiation treatment for spinal cancer, which he was diagnosed with in November 2021.

“I’m really ready,” Easton said about the show. “I’ve put together a lot of new pieces. I feel very in tune with my craft and creativity after such a wild ride, and I’m happy to be able to showcase it.”

Though you may not know Easton, you’ve probably seen his work. He created the “Hope” mural painted on an outside wall at the Fifth Element restaurant on Broadway. Considering what life has thrown at him, the word hope is a consistent guide.

“There have been some struggles,” he said.

Sending a message through art

Born Philip Easton Landers, the 32-year-old has a long family history in Newport dating back centuries. From his youth, he gravitated toward skateboarding — Easton said his father was part of the original Water Brothers crew — and that led to a penchant to create art, namely graffiti around town.

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And there was always a message. “I wanted to uplift people in the area. I wanted to get people to think,” he said.

After graduating from Rogers High School in 2008, Easton started his own apparel company, Legends Limited, which showcased his work. He taught himself the ins and outs of screen printing and owning and operating a business.

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While he continued to run his operation, Easton continued his artwork, which is hardly traditional. Instead of painting on canvas, he prefers to use items bound for the dumpster.

“Things that are not produced, like an old door,” he said. “I did construction and I would take pieces of old wood.”

Battling cancer and looking ahead

Life threw Easton a curveball in November of last year. He was feeling pain in his back and simply assumed it was old age catching up with him, so he went to physical therapy.

When the pain never subsided, he opted to see a doctor, who directed him to get an MRI in Portsmouth. What it revealed were cancerous tumors on his spine, more specifically Grade 2 ependymoma.

“I just lost it,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it. It was a scary time, for sure.”

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Easton was immediately shipped to Rhode Island Hospital, where doctors were able to remove one of the tumors. Through six weeks of radiation treatment, completed just this past May, a second tumor was diminished in size.

“I feel good,” Easton said. “The tumor is still in my body, but the radiation shrunk it and hopefully stopped it.”

It was during the radiation treatment that Easton began to work on the art that will be showcased at the “Off the Curb” show.

“It’s been one hell of a ride,” he said.

With cancer hopefully in his rearview mirror — he has a follow-up appointment scheduled — Easton can focus on the future. He has a girlfriend, Kate Laviolette, who stood by his side during the cancer treatments cancer despite the fact they’d been dating less than a year.

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“She’s been pushing me with the art and helping me promote it,” Easton said. “She really is a special person and I love her.”

Easton also has two children who seem to have the same flair for the arts as their father. Kyleigh Alyse Landers is 13 and heavily involved in the Newport Children’s Theater, while 10-year-old Izaiah Ramsey Landers seemingly wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps when it comes to business ownership and apparel. Izaiah started his own brand called Corner’s Edge.

“I want to be able to leave a legacy or story for my kids, something to be proud of,” Easton said.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport RI artist Philip Easton opens Off the Curb after cancer battle