Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maurilio Tapia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Maurilio, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I wish to imprint my style, my ideas and my interpretation of the Mexican-American experience into the art world and into the culture from which I come from. I think it is vital for artists to continue to push the boundaries of human expression through trials and errors and I want my art to reflect the nature of experimentation while also representing my roots. I hope my artwork becomes a symbol for expression, a symbol of letting go of fear and a symbol of inspiration for those who come from a similar background as me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Growing up, I never thought of myself as an artist nor had the intention of becoming an artist. I had the intention to work within the medical field and never really placed myself in a situation that allowed me to be creative. Everything changed the moment I took AP Art History in high school. I saw the beauty within art and the way it represents the time in which the artist is from. I saw how much it influenced society and how much society influenced the art. I grew a deep, profound love for art which caused me to pivot my life into something more creative. After high school, I found myself graduating with degrees in Visual Communication and Art History from the University of Northern Colorado. I had learned that art has historically been Eurocentric and dominated by white men. This influenced me more to push the boundaries within the art world and place a new style on how my culture is being represented within the field. My background stems more than just being a brown-kid from Greeley, CO. My unique American experience brings influences from a variety of cultures and movements. My Mexican roots provides me the inspiration to support and represent the culture. I wanted to show the world where I was from and how I can enrich it. This let me to create my artist name and to create artwork through a variety of different mediums.

“StarStormTito” is a name stems from a culmination between a variety of influences: hip-hop, the digital world, and growing up as a Mexican-American. In hip-hop and music in general, artists often give themselves a stage or performance name, almost as an alter ego. “StarStorm” in particular, refers to an all-out attack within the “Mother” or “Earthbound” video game series developed by Nintendo. “Tito” has been the affectionate nickname given to me as a child that continues to be present to this day.

This serves as a perfect combination that remains prevalent in my life: The strong influence of hip-hop and its elements, the influence of Japanese and Asian cultures within my life and the experience of growing up as a first-generation Mexican-American. My work is the culmination and intersection between cultures serve as a catalyst in understanding the individuals, culture, and lifestyle that lie outside of the dominant culture. Art is historical; thus, it is my intent to document the life and times of a culture that is more than often left out of historical documentation.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My reason for art stems from 4 goals of mine:

– Creating a new, dynamic and maximalist style that represents and reinforces the intersection of cultures that lie within the American and Immigrant lifestyles.
– Complete fulfillment of self-expression, symbolic of the cultures that inspire this sense of fulfillment.
– Inspire immigrant families and children to reach and gain access into informal institutions, such as museums.
– Give back to various communities nationwide.

These goals are deep and personal to me for many reasons. I personally believe that my culture is more than just cactuses and mariachis. We come from a deep and rich background that is complex, colorful and beautiful. My intent is to represent the colorful culture and nature of Mexico within my art by also incorporating the element of graffiti that is found inside hip-hop. I also want to inspire immigrant families to find value in coming into an institution such as a museum. I have a deep love for museums and I personally believe museums to be a place where individuals can learn more from. If art work that is made to reflect their culture remains in the streets as street art, then these individuals would never see themselves represented in institutions such as museums. My wish is to be able to get my artwork within museums so that it serves as a catalyst to get families and people from similar backgrounds into museums and gain deep bond and appreciation for other artists, artworks and cultural institutions.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

It is inspiring to see peoples faces light up when looking at my art. I love seeing individuals stop to take a moment to analyze my art work. To me, the most rewarding is getting individuals to expand their interpretation on what artwork is supposed to look like.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.starstormtito.com
• Instagram: @StarStormTito
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurilio-tapia/
• Other: TikTok: @StarStormTito