We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eric Mancha. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eric below.

Eric, 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.

My solo show in Beverly Hills was by far the most meaningful event I’ve worked on. I had been making a series of paintings inspired by traditional household brands I used as a kid. Brands like Tres Flores, Fabuloso, the Catholic candles you buy at the market, etc. I was tapped into by this curator who began working for a brand new gallery space right in the heart of Beverly Hills’ golden triangle. This was the galleries first show, and I was asked to be their featured artist. I was unsure how to approach this show since I had only had a couple of group shows and had never shown at that scale before. I tapped in with super-talented graphic designer Richie Moon, and he created one of the raddest flyers I’ve seen to this date. Shout out to him for real.

Once that was locked in, it was go time. The internet just ran with it, and the turnout was a success. But in all honesty, the most gratifying part wasn’t the fact that my show was packed or that it made money. It was the people who worked in Beverly Hills who felt seen. The valet drivers, the cooks, the housekeepers. The gallerist had informed me that these people had been coming in to see the show, and for many of them, it was their first time stepping foot into a gallery in Beverly Hills. They had never seen Latinos represented in a space like that before. It was the most gratifying feeling knowing that people who work these jobs and go unnoticed had felt seen for the first time in their lives in a community that many of them had worked in for 20-plus years. I knew I had done something special.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was one of those kids who picked up any object I could draw with and started doodling as a youngin’. I was obsessed with drawing. I would create cartoon characters and zines with my cousin, Eddie. He was just as obsessed with art as I was, and we would constantly compete with one another. It made us both better. With time, my mother realized it was my only talent. I was terrible at sports, so she put me into oil painting lessons at the age of 6. So, I began learning the technical side of art making. How to find the horizon line, how to create an underpainting, how to properly clean your brushes, etc. By the age of 10, I began helping her teach her intro class and was fully immersed in art making. Growing up where I grew up, we didn’t get many opportunities to learn about art or art history. I was born right on the Texas/ Mexico border, there were no art galleries or museums. No grants or opportunities. Some would say it was the hood, so being able to make art kept me out of trouble with the local gangs; it kept me focused on a goal. I didn’t know back then that I’d be doing it all my life; I just made art because I truly loved the feeling of finishing a drawing or a painting and loved seeing people be impressed with what I created. Looking back, my mother’s decision to put me into oil painting lessons paved my life’s path.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I feel like I always return to this question when interviewing with you all; it’s gonna be interesting seeing my responses over the years. This time around, I’m gonna keep it short and sweet. Always keep your momentum going. Make it a habit to stay moving forward. You can’t build resilience without going through something difficult. People will betray you, you’ll experience trauma, and most of the time, it’s not worth it to figure it out. It happened, and it is what it is. Choose your battles strategically. The key is not to ruminate over the drama; keep the energy kinetic, and you’ll realize you can focus on your goals far easier than dwelling over your past.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m at a place right now where I want to give more than I take. How can I or my work be of service to people, not just be about identity and representation. I want to add value to the world, that I would say is my creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.manchastudio.com
• Instagram: @manchastudio

Image Credits

Max Hummels, Jesse Cobb