Today we’d like to introduce you to Armando Aguirre.
Hi Armando, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, there were many creative people I looked up to like my mom, my cousin, and my older brother. My cousin and my brother started doing graffiti letters, and that’s how I got into spray painting in middle school. I fell in love with the medium, graffiti, and hip-hop. In college, I puzzled myself with wanting to be original, but I also wanted something my parents could be proud of and understand. In a poetry course that I didn’t want to take, I read a few Chicano poems, and that’s when it clicked for me. I started making a lot of pieces inspired by my Mexican American background, my Chicanoismo. It wasn’t until covid that I painted my first murals. With quarantine and the protests against the police, I felt an overwhelming urge to do something. I learned that artivism was activism through the arts and so the first murals I made were in support of the BLM movement and encouraging voter participation in the Latino community. In the beginning, I painted and organized a few mural productions with an activist group, so community and representation are two things I’m passionate about with my murals. Since then, I have worked with local businesses, nonprofits, and larger entities who seek to bring value to their space using art.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being self-employed, the journey has its highs and lows. There are weeks when I feel fully capable and energized to do everything; there are some weeks where I have to fight off the doubts that make me question if I chose the right path. One struggle I have fought hard to manage is doubt. I think as an entrepreneur, doubt is one the things we need to work hard not to listen to. I still have mines, but my remedy for it is my jaguar character Tez Cat. I made Tez Cat as a promise to always believe in myself and to have courage to follow through with my dreams. He’s a protective spirit born from the negative and inspires me to think positive.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a mural artist who specializes in hyperrealism, surrealism, and Chicano expressionism. Which means that I love painting portraits in color and in black and gray. I love combining portraits and characters with trippy and otherworldly elements, and I love creating pieces that are inspired by my culture. Like day of the dead catrinas, Mexican-inspired artwork, and my jaguar Tez Cat. I am most proud of where murals have taken me. I have had the honor of working with my cousin, who inspired me growing up, on the first mural in my parents’ hometown in Cutzamala De Pinzon, Guerrero, Mexico. I achieved my goal of not just going to California to see Chicano Park, which has inspired me so much as a creative person. I was commissioned to paint a mural in the same city, San Diego, California. What sets me apart is my portraits, they are a very hard subject to paint in murals, and I’m very happy with my improvement over the years.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
Playing with my cousin from Mexico when we’d visit for winter break. We would draw, make mud sculptures, and pretend that limes were zombies and soldiers and make them fight one another.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arte.mando/
Image Credits
Destiny King
