We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Raul Martinez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Raul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

As an artist, I’ve always tried to be creatively original. I completely have a high level of appreciation and respect for the great artist before me, but my mission has always been to be me and not them. I believe most learning institutions fail to acknowledge and accept one’s unique approach and they spend a considerable amount of time to get you to understand and almost mimic a successful artist who has probably passed many years ago.

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 started off in the art industry as a graffiti artist with a passion for comic illustration and the stories they were attempting to convey. I believe art is a source of escapism that allows you to venture off to another reality, and also the potential to inspire one to take a leap considered by the average to be a risk. I mainly paint to explain how I view earth and Mother Nature and where it’s been, where I see it going. My message is we’re all humans in here together, we are deciding now how to destroy or care for our planet. Nature does not know race, hate, age, anything monetary, etc.,so why do we?

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

I realistically see earth as this God like giant, and we humans are it’s good and bad cells running about it’s system. My mission with my artwork is to get others to understand this concept. I want to motivate and inspire others to love, care, and appreciate what we are a part of. The more good cells we have running around in the body, the healthier and more pure the life will be. The goal is unity, and taking a responsibility to harvest a good nature, which will then balance health.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I grew up in a urban city neighborhood that still to this day is populated with gang activities such as drug dealing and human trafficking. Although difficult, I chose to be different and to separate myself from that legacy. At a young age, I was surrounded by a lot of negativity, but I refused to allow it to deteriorate my state of mind. I chose the power of word and freedom of expression. As a person it’s important to have goals, hope, and a strong will otherwise society will mold you to what it wants you to become. I’m now an adult, and I’m proud to say that art has allowed me to survive my troubled environment, but also fight to motivate and challenge the youth to do the same, being financially poor shouldn’t hold you back from educating yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: Raulm.threadless.com
• Instagram: Chicago_abstractart

Image Credits
Raul Martinez