Enrique Arteaga Lucero

Enrique Arteaga Lucero
Visual Artist

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Bio- Enrique Arteaga Lucero is a Senior at Parkdale High School with a strong passion for Visual Art. He spends his free time drawing and perfecting the many ideas that spawn from his brain throughout the day. He draws inspiration from his own personal life, as well as music from the many different genres he listens to. He is a perfectionist when it comes to his drawings, oftentimes throwing away ideas or combining them with others to create the best visual representation he possibly could. Enrique creates his drawings as a way to express his thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a healthy way. He also hopes that his drawings can help others not feel alone or weird for feeling the way they do. He continues to grow his portfolio of drawings in an effort to become a tattoo artist in the near future. In June 2023, he will graduate from Parkdale High School. 

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The Interview

Define Visual Artist. A Visual Artist is a person who invites others into their mind, thoughts, and ideas, through paintings, drawings, sculptings, photographs, and more. It allows those who may not understand you, your language, etc. to see what you're thinking. 
Where do you draw your inspiration from? My inspiration comes from my non-stop ideas and my inability to accurately describe my wild thoughts. These are ideas that I truly believe are important to me and important for others to see as well.  What better way to polish my ideas and show people my mind than through my skill and gift of drawing. 
What inspired you to create? My inspiration for creating came from an early age. I was in Kindergarten when I became obsessed with comics and art that was a mix of realism and fantasy. I began practicing drawing almost every day and I even made a book about insects in the First Grade. My teachers loved it so much, they even sent me to the main office to show my Principal. It was that moment of appreciation that motivated me to continue practicing my craft. 
Why is what you do important? I believe what I do is important because I create art based on the negative emotions we face. I do not draw these emotions in an effort to advertise them, but instead to bring awareness. I take the darkest parts of my mind and create drawings from them. Some may interpret it as me being a depressed or angry person, but these emotions I portray in my drawings are ones we all feel throughout our lives. Creating these intense drawings is a way for me to express these emotions in a healthy way, as well as show others that these are normal emotions felt by everyone. There is no need to act as though these intense emotions do not exist, they are what make us human. We should learn to accept these emotions, instead of letting them consume us. 
What do you think is the most important tool for a Visual Artist? The most important tool for a visual artist is a creative mind. Artists of all kinds do not need the fanciest or most expensive tools to create impactful art. Impactful art comes from the mind first. To this day I only use led pencils and Q-Tips to create the art I share with the world. Taking the time to understand yourself, your thoughts, emotions, and ideas, is the best and most important thing any artist can do to achieve their best work. 
What advice do you have for someone that wants to be a Visual Artist? My advice for anyone who wants to become a visual artist is to never give up. There have been many times when I stopped drawing and creating art for months, even years, at a time. I simply lost motivation, but the key is to always attempt to pick it back up. Feeling drained is okay, it is a perfect opportunity to stop, rest, and come back at a later time. Becoming the best artist you can be isn’t a race or a competition. Everyone moves at their own speed. Focus on your goals with visual art and go at the pace you need to become the best you can be. Good luck. 
What is an interesting fact about you? An interesting fact about me is that I also love music, it is my second favorite kind of art. Although I don’t create any music, it is very important to me. It gives me the motivation I need throughout the day and it helps spark ideas for me to continue creating my drawings. 
Where are you from / Where do you live? I’ve lived in Lanham, Maryland my entire life. Parkdale High School has always been a 20-30 minute walk away for me. 
Who is your favorite Visual Artist? My favorite visual artist at the moment is Erik Daniel Garcia. His Instagram is @edgci and his unique style is one that inspires me to create more surreal drawings. Breaking out of my comfort zone of realism drawings has been difficult, but his mix of realism and surrealism has allowed me to see there is more I can do with realism than I thought. 
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 5 years from now, I see myself taking my love for drawing and transitioning it into tattoo work. It is a culture that is ever-growing and with the many styles available, there will always be something for me to learn. The idea of collaborating with people to create a piece of art that is meaningful enough for them to want to keep it on their bodies forever is something I hope to experience.

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Follow Enrique @
Instagram- @enriquesart
TikTok- @enriquesart
Facebook-EnriqueArteagaLucero 
​E-mail- [email protected]