​Duane grew up in the Irish Channel, a culturally Diverse Section of uptown New Orleans. It was there he began to develop his love for art while participating in  courses offered by Rachael Sim Baptist Center as well as The Irish Channel Boys Club. He later attended Walter L. Cohen High School, where he continued to study art. A highly recruited basketball standout in Louisiana, he was offered a scholarship to attend Georgetown University where he majored in Art. His basketball exploits include winning two state Championships at Cohen High being selected as a Mcdonalds all-american and being voted as one of the top 100 high school basketball players in Louisiana history.

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After two years at Georgetown he transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) to be closer to his wife and new born son (Duane, Jr.). After college he played Professional Basketball in the Federal International Basketball Association for six years. He Traveled the world over, including Italy, Greece, Netherlands, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Puerto Rico and Korea, which allowed him to see art through a much wider prospective. He infuses these experiences throughout his artwork.  Duane believes that art is a journey and should speak to ones soul, evoking specific emotions. His passion for creating artwork that reflect the unique culture of New Orleans shines throughout each piece he creates.  His describes his artwork as "whimsically" unique journeys of New Orleans and its culture.