We recently had the chance to connect with Felix Galvan and have shared our conversation below.
Felix, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I was recently asked to speak at an art class about my journey as an artist. I took the opportunity, but admittedly, I was nervous to mention that I dropped out of art school. In my presentation I spoke about my everyday life as an artist, and how I got to where I currently am in my art career. It was important for me to emphasize that part of being an artist is being able to adapt, when things don’t go as planned. For me, dropping out of art school didn’t mean that I had suddenly become creatively stagnant. It just mean that I had to put my creativity to the test, and develop new skills. I had to be resilient. Seeing people connect with that message made me realize I want to do more presentations like that.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am an artist exploring my ancestral history through my art. My paintings tell stories that honor the place I come from. It’s through this ancestral context, that I inform the world I’m building. My aim is to reveal this project in an exhibition i’m currently working on called Tepeyollotl- meaning ‘heart of the mountian,’ in Nahuatl. Heart of the mountain refers to the jaguar as a patron of mountains in many indigenous cultures of present-day Mexico. The jaguar is an important part of indigenous mysticism that prevails in contemporary Mexican culture. My art highlights the many stories that bring forth these symbols of ancestral knowledge in my dreamscapes.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
The moment I learned. how to draw the characters from my favorite cartoon. Learning how to drawing ninja turtles was the most fun I had as a kid with my mom. Once I learned that, I felt like I could learn to draw any cartoon.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
The fear of not making my parents proud has held me back before. My parents are studied and honest working people. They also speak multiple languages and taught me everything useful that I know. Looking up to them has also given me fear of not achieving enough for all the sacrifices they made for me. This is still a fear that I live with, but I deal with it by putting my goals into action.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’ve been set on doing my first paid mural in my city, but I haven’t landed a commission yet. I’ve been putting together concepts to start going door to door the long way.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m out surfing early in the morning. It’s very quiet when no one else is out yet, and being away from my phone is kinda nice. Sometimes I see seals or dolphins.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://felixgalvan.com
- Instagram: @felixgalvanart
- Youtube: @felixgalvanart
