We recently connected with Carlos Chavez and have shared our conversation below.
Carlos, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
One of the most unforgettable experiences was getting a call to paint a canvas inspired by one of Kobe Bryant’s shoes, the KB X. It was then shown with the shoe at a Nike event with Kobe in attendance. I remember his first game in ‘96, he came off the bench and didn’t do much, but I knew he was a baller. I had been playing ball since elementary school and was currently on the freshman team in high school so I was in it. He immediately became my favorite player and I watched him play his entire career. So having the opportunity years later to say a couple words to him, shake his hand and take a picture with him was life changing. I’ll never forget that day. Another meaningful and frequent project I get to work on is creating drawings and paintings for the best fashion brand in the game, Second Layer. It’s owned by two brothers, Josh and Jacob Willis and their friend, Ant de Padovane. Josh and Jake are like cousins to me, our moms were friends since before we were born and we’ve stayed connected since Kindergarten. So these projects are always close to my heart and I always try my best to make sure they come out super suave.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Im an artist whose work is influenced from growing up in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, my mom, and my love of cars and motorcycles. I grew up in Riverside, CA and much of my childhood I saw my mom planting flowers and plants in our yard. She’d design our flower beds and there was always a fresh flower bouquet somewhere in the house. To this day she always says, “just get me flowers” for any special occasion. So I draw/paint plants and flower bouquets because she ingrained in me to always have a fresh bouquet ready to go. As a kid I collected MicroMachines and much of my youth was spent sitting on my grandpa’s porch steps watching all the vehicles go by. We’d take turns picking them as they passed, always hoping to get a cool bike or car.
My first car was in high school was my great grandmother’s ‘87 Honda Civic. It wasn’t a fast car, but I made sure it bumped. I graduated high school in 2000 and as a graduation gift slash payment for years of yard work, my aunt cut me the family deal for her ‘95 Acura Integra GS-R sedan. This was the beginning of the fast and furious era, so naturally I modified it in that JDM style for street racing. Some of this era’s culture and design aesthetic has also stuck with me. From the party fliers, glamour shot backdrops and vending machine stickers, I still think they’re cool.
As I got older, my desire for speed continued to grow which led me to sport bikes. I purchased my first bike in 2006 and it was a ‘05 Suzuki GSX-R600. When I first got it I used it for commuting to work, school and canyon rides. A few years later it got turned into the track bike that I’ve been running for the past 7 years and is the reason I got involved in the sport of motorcycle road racing. From race parts to race tracks, this bike has inspired me to ride and create. I often paint on-board and POV angles that capture the feeling of riding. Sometimes I draw my own race tracks just to imagine what it would be like to ride that track. I’ve ridden multiple race tracks throughout Southern California, Mugello in Italy and Portimão in Portugal. Each time I get on the track I not only improve my riding skills, but it also fuel’s my creativity in the studio.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’d like to bring attention to the sport of motorcycle road racing. From track days to club racing to MotoGp, I’d like to have more people know there’s more to sport bikes than wheelies and splitting lanes. I always recommend a track day experience to any motorcycle rider. From brand new riders to canyon carvers, theres always something to learn about your bike. The beauty of taking a motorcycle to a track day is the environment. You’re surrounded by like minded people with no cars, animals or pedestrians in sight. It’s just you, the track and your bike. The connection between the rider and their machine is what I love. Not only can you hear someone pushing their limits, but you’ll see it when they come off the track. They usually have the biggest smile and coolest story to tell about what they experienced. I’m no racer, but I am a track day’er. So if you have a bike and wanna shred some tires, sign up for a track day. You won’t regret it and I’ll see you out there.
Have you ever had to pivot?
For five years I was an EMT and a volunteer firefighter for the Riverside County Fire Department. I was drawn to the dynamic work environment and public service. While sitting in the ambulance waiting for calls, I’d have my sketchbook and would draw whatever was in front of me. During my off time I would set up my studio in my parents garage. This was my routine throughout these years. Eventually I started to get commissioned work from friends, family and co-workers which felt good. Although those pieces didn’t make me the big bucks, I felt like this is what I should be doing. One day I realized my desire to become a firefighter was being overshadowed by my love of drawing and painting. At 30, I decided I’d start a new decade with a new direction. In 2010 I was accepted into the graduate program at CSULA where I majored in Studio Art and moved to Los Angeles with my brother. He was accepted to FIDM at the time and pursued his love of fashion. Everything just lined up and it was the beginning of both of our artistic pursuits.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carloschavezstudio.com
- Instagram: @misterchavez