Untitled (Artist in his Studio)
2020, Oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in.
I'm a multidisciplinary figurative artist born in Austin, TX. As a first-generation American, art wasn't prominent as a child but I had a natural inclination to draw and create with whatever materials I had available. My earliest memories of art of any kind was watching my father do some airbrush or draw with a ballpoint pen. I once lied to my mother claiming I needed watercolors for school, when I didn't. It's a memory that has stuck with me as evidence that art has always been my passion. I didn't know it at the time. I didn't take art as a profession seriously until transferring to UNT and getting into their art program, graduating with a BA and BFA. My art focuses on the human experience—touching on socio-economic status, gender, cultural identity, and mental health. I often use myself as a subject but also include others as representatives of these topics. Some influences of mine include: Jordan Casteel, Kehinde Wiley, Frida Kahlo, and Jenny Saville.