Chilean Graffiti Artist Explores Immigration

By Kamren Curiel

It's not everywhere you see graffiti pieces about immigration, but Brooklyn-based Chilean artist Nelson Rivas aka Cekis makes it a point to explore this theme based on his own personal experiences. His first open studio features a series of new works he spent all winter painting dedicated to the theme of confinement.

The Santiago-born painter, who immigrated to New York in 2004, has dealt with the issues of land barriers and knows what it feels like to be separated from his home. In "Fence Series 2012," Rivas creates a rich narrative around the idea of escaping only to feel confined. Images of tangled fences with multiple layers (below) represent this feeling of having nowhere to go.

A first generation South American graffiti artist, his work influenced a generation of young street writers in Chile during the late 90s. The full-time graffiti artist has painted murals in cities around the world, including NYC, LA, Paris, Santiago, and San Francisco.

If you're in New York, check out his Open Studio April 7-8 at 219 51 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220, 2-7 p.m.

Peep his videos below: