Here is an artist who believes in the power of the people. He believes in the power of community to change their own standard of living, and in the power of the collective to transform the world into a better place. What he doesn’t believe in is governments, which he views as essentially corrupt, stating that in his mind, governments, institutions and businesses only seek to get rich off of the labors of others and will not lift a hand to help individuals or communities.
Gonzalo Areúz lives and paints in Tenochtitlán in Mexico. His art is heavily influenced by the ancient tribal art of Mexico and he takes a lot of inspiration from Mayan art and Aztec art. He combines the ancient art forms with the modern art form of graffiti to create a style that is timeless while also being attractive to the modern eye. In a way, Areúz is renewing an ancient tradition of street art in Mexico, because the ancient Aztec art was carved into stones that were set along the streets in the sides of buildings. The only real difference is that Areúz uses paint instead of stone carving. The finished result is so beautiful that his ancestors would be proud.
His street art murals are generally huge, covering several storeys of a building. Creating a painting at such a large scale requires patience and a buttload of scaffolding. And a lot of paint. Areúz favors spray paint for creating his wall art, a medium that is a favorite of most graffiti and street artists.
You can follow Gonzalo Areúz on Facebook to get updates of his new pieces.