HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

TRAFFIC NYC IS CELEBRATING NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

Get to know one of our artists Adolfo Correa who gathers a lot of inspiration from his cultural background.

National Hispanic Heritage Month starting in mid-September, marks the independence of five Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and ends on October 15th. During this time, the celebration of the presence of Hispanic and Latino Americans in North America is recognized and honored for their contributions.

Our featured artist is Adolfo Correa, who lends his contributions by way of his artistry. Originally from Santiago de Chile, he currently lives in Brussels, Belgium. Having lived in different countries, such as Chile, Spain, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Belgium, has given him a sharper knowledge of various visual cultures, which feeds his work in a unique way.

We’ve invited Adolfo Correa to share his experiences as a Latino in the creative industry.

Do you find that your culture plays a huge role in what and how you create?Absolutely! I think that most of our work or our internal mindset to create is based on experience and aligned to what our memory thinks is good and right. In my case, I feel that most of my work is very bold and colorful because this is part of my own experience - what I have learned living and traveling through Latinoamérica. I always try to share good vibes in a fun way because this is what makes sense to me.

What has your experience been as a Latino/Hispanic in the creative industry? I feel that nationalities are not important in this industry because your work always speaks louder than your CV. I know how important it is these days to embrace diversity and different styles, and everything that came up from gathering different cultures. In this sense, my experience has always been excellent.

What Hispanic artist do you draw inspiration from? My first favorite artist was always Roberto Matta. I still remember when I was a kid and visited museums, I saw these giant colorful paintings that looked like a complex works of art in front of my eyes. There is probably something from him in my work as well.

Who is your favorite Hispanic artist? I have many favorite artists from different countries, but lately, I’m in love with the work of Guillermo Lorca. I saw his work a few months ago at Moco Museum in Barcelona, and I was like, WOW.

How do you go about representing your culture in your artwork? I believe that Hispanic culture has become very popular lately, probably for its music and dances that came from there but also for its food - all vibrant vibes from our culture. Nowadays, every Latin person is more proud in Europe at least to say I’m from here or there and share their point of view. Maybe some years ago, this was not that easy due to racism or discrimination.

He also adds: I highly recommend always finding inspiration from your roots and culture because it is there where you can find something meaningful and unique. In the process, you can try and mix stuff from other cultures to learn and improve, but in the end, you have to look back and recognize your voice. Otherwise, all your work can be potentially similar to others and get lost easily - this is all about trusting the process.

Adolfo Correa was invited to design a limited edition coffee can for Café Bustelo in New York City. His purpose for this project was to reflect the positive vibes from the Latino culture and the energy that we get when we drink our favorite morning coffee. The project received a lot of amazing feedback, which led morning coffee lovers to share on Instagram a few pictures (featured above) of their experience.

Adolfo is a multi-media artist, graphic designer, and motion/animation designer with a strong interest in visual narratives, imagery, and creativity that has no boundaries. He embraces every project as an opportunity to explore new visual languages by connecting art and graphics with people. Art and creative direction, together with illustration, are his main tools to produce images that aim at connecting with people in a deeper and more emotional way.

He has worked with top brands, including Café Bustelo, Nike, Adidas, Corona, CashApp, Absolut, and Mercedes-Benz.