Vibrant and Brilliant Portraits of Contemporary Daily Life by Jurell Cayetano

Jurell Cayetono is half Honduran/ half African-American illustrator and painter who creates remarkable portraits of contemporary daily life. 

When I started taking art seriously, I learned how much I needed to plan. You have to go in with a game plan. My high school art teacher would say, “art is like problem-solving,” and I didn’t pay attention. It took me a while to realize he was right. You have to go in wanting to solve a problem. It sounds really rigid but it is, in a sense, all about a goal you want to accomplish. The more constrictions you have, the more limits, sometimes the better the work. Waiting for inspiration isn’t going to pay the bills and realistically help your work in the long run.

Jurell Cayetano

A story. A moment that captures an experience. That’s where my illustration background comes into play. I want to talk to people through my work. I joke that my paintings are like Horcruxes. I like the idea of documenting a moment in someone’s life.