Today we’d like to introduce you to Shirish Villasenor.
Hi Shirish, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
The desire to create has always been a big part of my life, but the journey into public art began in 2018 for Comic Con when I was given the opportunity by Hilton San Diego Bayfront’s Starbucks team and Universal Pictures to create a Jurassic World-themed window art display. What started as 3 windows the following year grew, and I was given 4 windows by Starbucks to create another themed display. In addition, five windows by Sweet Things Frozen Yogurt were requested from me, but with the freedom to create a display of my own selection. I thought about the needs of Comic-Con attendees and made the choice to memorialize the late Stan Lee who had passed at the end of the previous year. Plans were made for the year to come, and then Covid hit. As stay-at-home orders were in place and with my desire to create more public art, I saw a posting for a defaced civil rights mural. In a time of social distancing and masks, I was able to follow guidelines and volunteered to assist ‘artivist’ Mario Torero while being inspired to see the effect on the surrounding community. His inspiration left me with the desire to follow my dreams of becoming a professional artist.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The journey has been a growth process for me by overcoming my own personal fears. I suffer from vertigo and anxiety which is triggered by public speaking, but the idea of creating art seems to help me bypass my fears. In the beginning, I was barely able to get on a ladder, but now have my own 22ft scaffold. My biggest accomplishment was being invited as a guest speaker alongside Isabel Garcia, Robert Ito, and Muralist Victor Ochoa at the San Diego Green Building Conference and Expo where we spoke about representing events through art impacting and improving the local heritage of our community.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My personal artwork is a mix between beauty and madness. I use a lot of surreal and dimensional qualities while trying to find ways to hide tiny details with deeper meanings to keep the viewer thinking. Contrasting colors are usually chosen to enhance emotions. I am empathetic towards mental health awareness and find this inspires some of my best creations.
Some art shows I have been given the opportunity to participate in include locations around San Diego like Blk Box Gallery in San Ysidro, Centro Cultural de la Raza, The Stein’s Hollow in Chula Vista, Mike Hess Brewery in North Park, Corazon Del Barrio, Sew Loka in Logan Heights, and ARTS in National City, but the most humbling was participating in an art display at the San Diego Convention Center for the migrant children.
My volunteer work is used towards assisting children. At Golden Hill K-8 Spanish Immersion School I have donated three murals to pass along positivity. The first was with Ms. Garcia which included inspirational historical figures while also teaching children about empathy, the second was a student-involved mural where I asked them to create a character design that would represent diversity in their school. The third was to celebrate World Kindness Day with Art Teacher Erika Bengs in conjunction with organizing a student art show, “Be Kind to the Earth” to help the school raise money for three water filter stations to reduce waste of single-use plastic bottles while inspiring them to share their artwork.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Isabel Garcia, an artist I met volunteering with Mario, realized that our values for our community aligned. We teamed up and created a mural business, Arte Atolondrada. The meaning behind Arte Atolondrada is Scatterbrained Art. It is the process of taking multiple ideas and incorporating the tiny details to leave the viewer’s mind traveling through the artwork while keeping our Mexican American heritage alive. Normally in our culture atolondrado’s meaning is used to represent those who are not ‘normal’, but we have learned to embrace our differences. Together we have worked throughout the city in businesses like Baja Mama and Mujeres Brew House. We were also selected to work with 2 other artists by Blue Shield of California and Urban Collaborative to create the Secret Stairs of Valencia Park. For our current project, we have received a grant from the City of Chula Vista to paint a 100 ft wall at La Bella’s in the historic Downtown Chula Vista Third Ave District.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://arteatolondrada.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shirishtheartist/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/arteatolondrada/
Image Credits
Mario Torero
Isabel Garcia
