Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Robles
Hi Adriana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From the moment I saw the world through conscious eyes, I knew that I was a painter. Growing up between South Central L.A. and the Mexican countryside, I found comfort in art from an early age, even secretly enrolling into my elementary school’s art club against my parents’ wishes. However, my life took a drastic turn when my older brother passed away when I was nine, followed by other family losses, including my father at 15. Art became my refuge, but it wasn’t until my mid-twenties—after a turbulent marriage, years of co-owning a filming company that wasn’t my calling, and my first full-time job—that I was finally able to pursue painting on my own terms.
In just five years, I exhibited at the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles, sold my first limited edition print in a private auction, and even created concept art for a Pre-Hispanic-themed video game. By 30, I had saved enough to leave my job and focus entirely on art—but despite always knowing that was my goal, I found myself clinging to the stability of a steady paycheck. The job grew more stressful, slowly consuming my health, yet I stayed, trapped by routine. Suddenly, as if destiny intervened, my health declined so severely that I had no choice but to walk away from that job, pushing me toward the life I was always meant to live. Now, two years later, I write this from the comfort of my art studio, fully embracing my path. With a new limited edition fine art print series set to release in Spring 2025, I can confidently say that my journey has only just begun.
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?
You can’t find peace without chaos. Chaos found me really young, and for many years I wondered when things would get better. My true nature has always been to put myself first, but I lost sight of that when I started losing loved ones. Whenever I put myself second and chased people or things, I would always end up losing. What these struggles taught me is to nurture my ambition so that everything I want can find its way to me. In the simplest form possible: Trust your instincts.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create oil paintings that are strongly influenced by my two loves: animals and my pre-Hispanic culture. Animals are a symbol of innocence; even a jaguar has a pure soul. When I paint, it’s that pure, inner child that controls the paintbrush. In a way, I never stopped being a kid who loves where she’s from.
In regards to what sets me apart: I never suffered from impostor syndrome, even during times of fear or depression. There was never a doubt in my mind that I deserved to have the life I knew I would attain. Coming from nothing, I had nothing to lose. Coming from nothing, I somehow knew that I was always going to be okay in my life. It’s this mentality that has gotten me to where I am now and will continue taking me to greater places.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a very social, talkative, and expressive child around loved ones. However, I stuck out in school because I was a light-skinned Mexican girl in South Central. That brought on bullying, which led me to be shy and quiet in class, rarely participating. My kindergarten teacher was the first to witness my true nature after visiting my home due to my lack of participation in school. When she saw who I really was, she yelled, “Why is THIS girl not the one I see in the classroom?!” I eventually grew tired of being shy and was set to be myself near the end of middle school. It was the best decision ever as this allowed me to develop into a better person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://adrianarobles.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fineartadriana
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/fineartadriana
- Twitter: https://x.com/fineartadriana
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@FineArtAdriana
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@fineartadriana
Image Credits
Photo credits: Adriana Robles (self); Danny De Marcos
