Stories

One sentence stories:
„… and so finally, he took the fish.“

My cousin will move from Turin-Italy to China at the beginning of 2017. It has gotten me thinking about the early stage in which you move to a new country.

My home country is Venezuela, but i‘ve had to adapt to the U.S.A., Spain and Austria. You have to not only understand a new language, but you also have to learn how to interpret a whole new set of body language signs.

Like when some cultures nod, in what we western people would understand a yes, to mean no.

Our intimate moments, deep within our heads, translate into mimics. These gestures are conditioned by cultural and social learning. And they are also read according to our cultural and social backgrounds.

For example, how many interpretations of the face above would we find?

Tiredness of living
Sadness (maybe because my cousin is leaving Europe 😉 )
Dissapointment
Trying to listen to what someone is saying in the background
Making a decision

I wonder what this face would suggest in Asia or Africa…
Are our cultures so different that we might interpret something totally different?

In my case, I was looking at this when I was drawing him…

So, this is my one sentence story:
„and so, he took the fish“

+ (Note: For inquiries, please contact me at art@atamayka.com) +

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Stories behind the paintings:
Human nature and new year’s resolutions

Is there anything left of our new year‘s resolutions now that January is over?
I finished this acrylic painting as well as the one below in January 2017, a few days ago; in a time where most of us look at the year we left behind and also look forward to new projects.

The “Let me get the bird part right” painting above, is a bit of me laughing at myself, at this human tendency to tackle things that are not so important instead of directing our efforts to the actual task at hand. Have you found yourself doing so?
I surely have. I started making daily drawings in Instagram in August 2016, but I didn’t touch the app until after I made a mini course about it, read interviews, spoke to some people about it, read a manual… ***laugh*** That’s me, afraid of social media. But you see, I didn’t even touch Instagram that whole year until I had done everything else.

In my country you say: You have to take the bull by the horns. I try to remember that when I want to tackle what’s essential.

With “Punch it out” I ask myself:
“To inform myself and find understanding or to react in blind fear?”
This is something we’re seeing so often nowadays in the world, fighting violence with violence and hate with hate. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

+ (Note: All paintings are available. For details, please contact me at art@atamayka.com) +

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Stories behind the 100 Urban Faces:
Ernst, the girls and Co.

I usually arrange the 100 Urban Faces I have exhibited to build up a story. Angry Ernst and the judging woman, big-eyed Alfred and this passionate woman are almost always together.

You don‘t really know what this woman is thinking when she looks at Ernst, but by the look in her eyes she might be making fun of him.

And when Alfred stares at this passionate woman, I guess that his mind is racing. I wonder, is this his wife, his neighbor? It makes me laugh.
But then, each person will see their own story. The passion I sense may be a frustration cry to something Alfred said in the head of another spectator. If you see his torso – directed away from her, maybe Alfred is considering running away…

more about the 100 Urban Faces series

+ (Note: The 100 Urban Faces series of wall sculptures are available. For details, please contact me at art@atamayka.com) +

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Inspiring short stories from Herakut – street art duo

Herakut’s “Giant Storybook” project is a children’s book whose pages are painted on the facades or walls of buildings and houses all over the world.
Watch them above in full action.

Giant Storybook Series by Herakut in Berlin Giant Storybook Project by Herakut in Australia

Giant Storybook Project by Herakut in Australia

From the Giant Storybook Series by- Herakut in Florida (U.S.A.)

"I'm different" "me too" From the Giant Storybook Project by Herakut in India

Each piece is a short story on their own and they move people, Herakut’s work is absolutely inspiring. Not only because of the size, which would be technically enough, but because of the contrast of soft and hard involved in the process, the final piece and the message. Those eyes mirror lives and strong emotions. Like the walls they’re painted upon, they’ve endured the hardships of the weather, of life itself.

Jasmin Siddiqui (Hera) and Falk Lehman (Akut) are german graffiti artists who decided to start working together in 2004. Hera’s sketchy lines and Akut’s smooth realism complement each other, she starts the skeleton and positioning of the piece and he lays the skin. Akut said of their collaboration:

“we don’t have those big artist’s egos and it’s nice to work around your best friend.”

And these two do get around, their murals are all over the world. Regarding a trip to Nepal Jasmin said:

“We LOVE working with people who are still hungry for art and education, for social interactions, progress, politics. We love people who believe that one can make a difference, and that they themselves have the ability to strengthen their community, change their environment and leave a positive mark in their world.” (source: http://kolorkathmandu.sattya.org/note-from-herakut/)

I am in awe of their art and their passion at work. I found four Herakut pieces that are still to be sold here (click on the thumbnails) and you can buy their two books here:

(affilliate links)

sources:
HERAKUT
www.mo-berlin.com
www.streetartnews.net
www.streetal.mx
www.kolorkathmandu.sattya.org

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Preview

I’ve spent long afternoons and nights coding atamayka.com and this blog, trying to get them to look like I want them to. Here’s a preview of my portfolio site. Languages are a blessing to do, thank God for wordpress!

You see, my family speak Spanish, most of the web speaks English, and I live in Austria where most of my friends speak German. That’s why my portfolio is in three languages, so that nobody feels left out.

Writing a blog is a completely different situation. One is supposed to update often, and I don’t see myself writing in all three languages that often. So, sorry folks and friends, English it is.
Disculpen! / Entschuldigung!

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