Today we’d like to introduce you to Squeak Starzula.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Just a little ratty demon creature from the south side of Chicago. Been painting and creating since I was a lil kid, it’s consistently been the only thing that feels right, like my life purpose. All other things make me feel anxious. I’ve always felt like I have no idea why I’m here or how to be human, so I just create my own world and drown myself in it. There is no separation from my work and myself, it’s all just one thing. I’ve always loved colors and texture. I look at things and imagine what would be like to paint and transform them. That’s what gives me pure joy and always has
Please tell us about your art.
I consider myself a traditional painter, designer, and upcycler. I dabble in many areas and mediums of art because I need to constantly stimulate my imagination to keep myself from being bored or depressed. A lot of my work stems from extreme anxiety, especially my pattern work. The skull pattern I paint obsessively is a visual representation of the anxiousness I experience regularly and all the chaos flowing behind my eyes. I love creating, it is what I find deep fulfillment in like nothing else. I know my only purpose in my human experience is to create. I don’t know why or how I just know that’s what I’m here for. Nothing else makes sense to me. I paint things that bring me familiarity/comfort, what I create is what the world inside of my head looks like and I try my best to translate it through my work to the best of my ability. It’s where I feel like I’m from and where I hope I go back to after this world. My characters feel more like me than I feel like me when I look in the mirror. The more I spread my work around, the more I see people recognize this world and it blows my mind every time. Every person I meet that loves what I create leaves me astonished or almost about to explode from the intense feeling I get that someone understands or at least kind of does. When I was younger, I had an extremely difficult time connecting to people so now that I can connect with people through my work, it helps me open up and want to help others open up and share their imagination.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Just make whatever the hell is going on in your head. If you’re sad, make sad art. If you’re depressed, make depressing art. If you’re in love, make art about it. Be true to how you feel. Be true to yourself. Show your flaws and insecurities, your emotions, everything. They’re flavor and people will understand. My best selling work is stuff I made at points where I needed to get something out and didn’t know how other than presenting it through art. Paint with your favorite colors. If you love dogs, paint dogs. If you love horror, paint what you’re afraid of. Celebrate your favorite things, things that haunt you, your fetishes, your dreams, nightmares, your lover, your pet, everything. Just do it. Don’t worry if it’s good. Do it and then pick it apart later and grow from it. Teach yourself how to do the things you want to be better at. Skill will come with practice.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I bounce around a lot from galleries, shows, events, etc. I have art pieces and wearable art all over the world, in many places, I never have been to physically which blows my mind. Currently, I have permanent mural work at my favorite club/bar, EXIT Chicago. I call Exit the goblin lair and you might understand why if you go to the second floor. I am one of the hosts of the monthly party BlAcklight Blackout at Exit and I vend handmade goodies there. I try to participate in galleries as often as possible without showing the same pieces too often. Online, you can view my most consistent postings via Instagram: @squeakstarzula. You can support my work by coming to events, purchasing my work (squeakstarzula.etsy.com) or simply following and sharing my posts.
Contact Info:
- Website: Squeakstarzula.etsy.com
- Email: squeakstarzula@yahoo.com
- Instagram: Squeakstarzula
- Facebook: Squeakstarzula
Image Credit:
Squeak Starzula, Jose Calvo, H.H Wolf
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