Art History
In middle school, I was in the AV club where I learned how to edit, film and run a student news show.
I started my formal studies in art at 15, though I started drawing in middle school (2000). In High school, I was in an art academy program where I learned about stop motion animation, 3d animation, fine art, illustration, and music production. During the summer of my freshman year, I also took an interest in Fashion design and toy design.
At the end of each academic school year, we have a student exhibition showcasing our work from the year.
I did one year at Cerritos Community College before I went to Art School. I took 2 advanced art classes.
2002-2007: Art Academy, Community college
I went to Otis College of Art and Design to study 2d animation. In my foundation year, I took a school trip to Paris and changed my major to Fine Art as I wanted to do paintings and conceptual sculpture pieces. A month before my sophomore year, I got cold feet and switched my major back to animation then called Digital Media because it seemed like a smarter career decision.
During Otis, I studied 2d animation, concept art, visual development, editing and film studies.
I studied abroad in Vancouver, BC at Emily Carr as well.
My senior thesis was an animated show called Lenny and his Dead Grandpa.
I had an internship with Film Roman that was short-lived because of a conflict with my department chair. While there I was an intern for the Avengers Earth Mightiest Heroes animated show.
Before graduation, I started an internship at Six Point Harness. I was a compositing intern on Tom Hanks’ Electric City and MTV’s Good Vibes.
2008-2011: Otis College of Art and Design, Emily Carr
After graduation, I started a documentary series and blog called Offbeat Movement that featured artists from and living in Los Angeles County. I also started what would become my Bleeding Box series that summer.
I kept working on illustration and visual art work as well from 2011-2016.
2011: Bleeding Box series, OffBeat Movement
1 year after I graduated from Otis I had my first solo art exhibition at the Fullerton Museum Center. The show featured my Bleeding Box series which I had been working on since graduating from college. The point of the series was to use recycled material and “waste” and turn them into mixed media pieces.
I kept working on illustration and visual art work as well from 2011-2016.
2012: Bleeding Box Assemblages Solo Exhibition as LAw
In 2013 I started participating in Collaborative Arts LA events. I was a part of the group exhibition show for Brokechella and I did a painting for the No Budget Film Fest Galla. My Bleeding Box series started to transform into a series I called ‘Color Shapes’.
I kept working on illustration and visual art work as well from 2011-2016.
2013: Color Shapes series, Collaborative Arts LA
In 2014 I took part in the third installation of the Line Attack group exhibition show at Hive Gallery in LA. I also did the group show for Broechella that year as well.
I kept working on illustration and visual art work as well from 2011-2016.
2014: Hive Gallery Line Attack Group Show
For my 5th album, I collaborated with artist Rachel Rusenko for a special installation at Industry Gallery (no longer exist) in Los Angeles. Flyer Art by Dustin Garcia.
I kept working on illustration and visual art work as well from 2011-2016.
2015: Feel Good art exhibition and album release
In 2016 I did a short lives documentation project called Our Lives Speaks. It was a combination of pictures and audio recordings of artists and people from and living in Los Angeles County. I also started my art studio, where I published zines, comics, buttons, stickers, prints and videos.
I kept working on illustration and visual art work as well from 2011-2016.
I did a project where I drew 300 drawings on 6x4 notepads in 3 months. That eventually turned into 1000+ drawings over a year.
2016: Our Lives Speak, Lawrence lindell studios
My focus was mainly on my zine and comics tour and teaching, but I kept a healthy and prolific personal art practice going during this time as well.
2017: Personal Art practice
I went to grad school in 2018 to get my MFA in Comics from California College of the Arts. The main goal was to expand my knowledge for a career in higher education and education in general.
2018-2020: California College of the Arts
In 2018, I had an art piece in The Multivrs is Illuminated group art show at ATA in San Francisco and I had art from my webcomic “The Section” in a group art show pop-up at E14 Gallery in Oakland.
I also did an illustration for BYP100, and flyer art for SPX and BAQZF
2018: The Multivrs Is Illuminated Group Art Show, E14 Pop-Up, BYP100, BAqzf, spx
At CCA we had a group comics exhibition called Emanata, showcasing our thesis projects. My exhibition piece was for my thesis ‘Both”. That year I also took part in a group comics show at California Humanities called We Are More: Stories by Queer Artist, which featured work from my 2nd thesis at CCA “The Garden”.
I was also the guest of honor for SF Zine Fest where I designed the poster and tote bag art.
2019: Emanata, We Are More: Stories by Queer Artist, Sf zine Fest
2020: Queer Comics Saves Lives, THe Fine Art of Radical Self-Publishing, Koyama provides, Eclectic frequencies, SF Aids foundation
In 2020 I had a solo art show at Strut SF called Queer Comics Saves Lives and my work was also a part of The Fine Art of Radical Self-Publishing exhibition at Antenna in New Orleans. I also received a grant from Koyama Provides to work on my comic paint series ScribeGriot.
During the pandemic I started a series called Eclectic Frequencies, that featured my cartoon work mix with photography. I had done a few zines in the past with this concept, but they main inspiration came from the show The Amazing World of Gumball (something I don’t think anyone would guess).
I did a design for Pride for the SF Aids Foundation.
And I was producing even more art than normal because of lockdown and returned to animation a bit.
In 2021 I was the Emerging Artist for the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco exhibition curated by Andrew Farago and my work was featured in a comics exhibition called A Story Like Mine curated by Micah Bornstein and Gabriel Garcia for South Shore Arts.
I illustrated 2 books for the non profit org in Oakland called Chapter 510.
2021: Emerging Artist Showcase Cartoon art museum, A Story Like Mine, Chapter 510
2022: Resplendent: Identity & Visibility in Comic, ZINE AND LIBRARIES CONFERENCE
In 2022 I was part of the group comics exhibition called Resplendent: Identity & Visibility in Comics at Montserrat College of Art curated by Lynne Cooney.
I did the flier for the ZINE AND LIBRARIES CONFERENCE.
2023: House of Black: A Black Queer Comics and Zine Exhibition, Carousel: Comics Performances, Shultz Museum
In 2023 I returned to Strut with my spouse for our solo comics exhibition House of Black for our small press Laneha House for the Black Queer Arts project at Strut curated by Ajuan Mance and Serge Gay Jr.
I did a interactive reading for Carousel: Comics Performances at SPX.
I was the feature cartoonist for Second Saturday Cartoonist at the Shultz Museum.
I was mainly focused on the 2 graphic novels I had come out this year and the year before and my comics career, but I kept my illustration and art-making practice going behind the scenes.
2024: Personal Art practice
Year of comics and personal art practie.
2025:Personal Art practice
My work was acquired to be on permanent display at a museum opening in Los Angeles.