St. Petersburg

When you first meet Alex Yanes, you are struck by how laid-back and approachable he is. Born in Miami, he is the product of both the ever-evolving, fast-paced city and the burgeoning art scene. Yet, he is as real and approachable as they come. In a city filled with wild characters and over-saturated personalities, Yanes is refreshingly humble, preferring instead to let his vibrant and colorful artwork take center stage.

And it does.

Since he decided to pursue art full-time in 2006, his work has become his autobiography, speaking volumes about who he is and what he has seen. A son of the city, his story is influenced by his Cuban roots and an ever-growing curiosity about all the things Miami had to offer him during the 80’s and 90’s. Yanes’ work is the result of years spent immersed in skateboard, tattoo, hip-hop and rock culture during his teenage years, but says he felt the stirrings of creativity at a young age. He won his first art contest at age six and claims that one of his greatest accomplishments was building his own tree house at the age of 10; a feat he accomplished with the knowledge and tools imparted on him by his father and grandfather.

Now a father himself, Yanes spends his time making art and raising his family in the city that raised him. Where he once worked on canvas, his art has taken on a life of it’s own, coming alive via wood, acrylic, resin and enamel into three-dimensional installations. Each is a unique view into Yanes’ history and love of all things art and have caught the eye of art aficionados and corporate collectors alike. He has worked with Adidas, Red Bull, Sony, The Learning Channel, Vans, Kidrobot, UsTwo Games, Delta Airlines, Coca Cola, and Rag & Bone. His work has been acquired and collected by institutions such as The Long Beach Museum of Art, Fidelity Investments and Capital One.

And because he supports the city that cultivated him as an artist, he has made it a priority to work with local foundations where he can help children and ultimately bolster their love of art. He has worked with St. Jude’s Hospital, The Dan Marino Foundation, Miami Children’s Museum, NBA Cares, The Miami Children’s Hospital, and The Children’s Trust.

Whimsical and yet relatable, Yanes’ art embodies innovative use of color and imaginative subject matter and speaks to collectors and new art lovers, alike. His work has been a staple in Wynwood’s art district since it’s inception and has also been exhibited at by galleries in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Berlin, Australia and Japan.

Elle is a Florida native, born and raised in Sarasota. She studied printmaking and painting at Florida State University and received her BFA in studio art in 2016. She has since pursued her artistic career via freelance design, illustration, clothing design, and murals. She currently lives and creates locally in St. Petersburg.

Elle began her current body of work, intending to use it as a release from her otherwise representational freelance career. She loosely restricts herself to using the most basic colors and forms, focusing on primary colors and playful shapes. “I love the idea that such pure elements of design can come together into a composition that has never been executed quite the same way. I think I was looking for an outlet to bring positivity and playfulness to an aspect of my life that can, at times, become all work and no play. It’s important to me for art to remain something I find passion and pleasure in.”

Relating to her mural designs, she strives to create contemporary, effortless imagery that compliments simple, modern spaces. She is inspired by objects throughout daily life that are often overlooked. The mundanity of the everyday objects relieves the necessity of meaning people often seek in art. There is interest to be seen in everything, and she has endlessly sought to give these objects their 'moment in the sun.'

Schwacke creates illustrative designs with playful colors and imaginative characters. As a longtime staple in the local creative scene, Schwacke has been active in many galleries, art shows, and streets throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Bask is the moniker of one, Ales “Bask” Hostomsky, who, along with his parents, emigrated from Czechoslovakia to Florida and began to soak up America’s popular iconic imagery along with the sun.

Bask quickly began to notice similarities between the communistic iconic propaganda from his youth and his teens' consumer advertising. He soon discovered that they were simply two sides of the same coin. Each vying for our short-lived attention spans, all the while selling us (or telling us?) anything and everything from Marxism to McDonald's. Seeking conspiracies -and finding them embedded in the mass media's popular iconography, Bask began painting bold, media critical broadsides to assuage his fear of being manipulated. A fear cultivated in a repressive regime had now returned but to the most unlikely and safest of places- The American living room.

Bianca Burrows is a mixed media commercial artist based in Tampa, Florida. Whether she is painting on a traditional canvas or crushing massive walls with stencils and a spray can, her work is intentionally customized for each customer. BBArt merges traditional acrylic paints with various unique materials, such as custom-designed stencils and collage paper, to create a unique and recognizable style, which is best described as refined NY street-art. Her signature approach to street-art is visible in all of Bianca’s pieces. Bianca draws on the inspiration of her clients’ visions and her personal creativity to create these vibrant, crisp, bold pieces. In 2019, Bianca created The Promise Tree Project to give kids a creative outlet and a safe space to work on self-expression through art.

Growing up in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, to be exact, was one of the main factors that have molded Nneka Jones into the artist she is today. Her astounding love for color and special attention to detail, as influenced by her culture, have always been prominent throughout her artistic journey.

In 2020, the 23-year-old artist graduated with a BFA and minor in Marketing from the University of Tampa. Her most recent achievement was a commission from TIME magazine to produce the cover artwork for the August 31st/ September 7th issue 2020. The artist is now speaking at events like Adobe MAX, inspiring others by sharing how she turned her doubts into dreams and made those dreams into reality. She uses her artwork to speak out against social injustices that are overlooked in everyday life.

​She quotes, “There is the artwork. The story behind the artwork and the story that the artwork tells.” She believes that her artistic journey has only just begun and is eager to explore her creative purpose in life, to reach her ultimate goal of being an internationally renowned artist.

Born and raised in Miami, Tatiana Suarez’s work draws you into a surreal, creamy, and ethereal world filled with doe-eyed figures ornamented by unsettling accompaniments and sexual undertones. On both canvas and walls, Suarez’s work is rich with symbols from her Brazilian and El Salvadorian heritage, juxtaposing the beautiful with the exotic and creepy to create enchanted narratives. The natural mythology and folklore from her respective parent cultures influence her work, from the indigenous face paint and adornment used to the rich and tropical color palettes of the South American landscape.

Yuan uses her photography to create hyperreal paintings, often inspired by Eastern and Western cultures' dichotomy.

Originally from China, Yuan uses her natural proficiency for art to explore the contrasting viewpoints she’s experienced.

She is based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jabari Reed-Diop, aka iBOMS, is an emerging artist from St. Petersburg, Florida. At first glance, his work may seem like simple illustrations and graffiti, but each piece has a unique story to tell—some of self-love, destruction, and discovery. His work aims to catch and draw the viewer in to create that “awe” experience while exposing them to his world. The world of a young African American male. He does this by painting and creating lively characters that, at a glance, you may not think there was a story behind it. But like in life, everything wants to appear blissful, but unbeknownst to everyone else, a dark river runs beneath the surface.

Brian Butler is a Miami based illustrator, designer, and muralist. He graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a BFA after completing an eighty-four stop tour of every miniature golf course in Massachusetts. Before moving to Miami, he held production roles with a touring college campaign for Microsoft and with Cut&Paste, a global design tournament focused on showcasing emerging designers' process in front of a live audience.

In Miami, he fell into a design position at CP+B for several years before pursuing a freelance career as The Upper Hand Art, Inc. Somehow, amidst these positions, Brian has built a reputable career in murals, design, and illustration and has collaborated with brands such as Vice, Target, Tumblr, Red Bull, Converse, Superfly, Madison House, The Miami Heat, and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Music is central to his identity, and as a non-musician, he has been fortunate to contribute back through his art. Besides creating a mountain of merchandise, album art, and promotional material for labels and musicians, he’s also drawn over 2000 live performances while standing in the audience. He’s deemed this act of drawing shows “Show Drawn,” which has brought him throughout the country and even out to sea. He has illustrated SXSW, Bonnaroo, Clusterfest, Governors Ball, Pickathon, Form Arcosanti, Project Pabst, Riot Fest, Ultra, the late Motorhead Motorboat, and many stand-alone shows.

As a curator, he’s organized group exhibitions on the topic of both Ice Cream People and Flags, respectively, and spearheaded an independent publication called The Miami Palmist, meant to position local musicians as guides to South Florida. Behind the scenes, he’s consulted and organized numerous artist-driven activations for brands and agencies.