Mauricio Murillo Photography

Welcome back to The Expressionist Magazine

If you would have told Mauricio Murillo when he was in middle school that art would engulf his life and give him a new sense of purpose he probably would have laughed at you.  As a young man trying to find his way in a tough world, this native Floridian did what most young boys do in school; he was active in sports, all kinds from football to soccer and whatever else his school offered.  He admits that he dabbled in art in his younger days but it wasn’t a focus.  This just shows how you can’t say, “I’m never going to do it,” because you usually end up doing just that.

As he got older, Mauricio started to focus more on abstract art in college, and he really embraced it by saying it was a great creative release.  He was born into a family of artists, specifically his mother who did a lot of painting and whose style mimicked her home country of Columbia.  Mauricio’s art went down a few different paths as he grew his talent; one of those paths took an urban feel.  He really enjoyed the raw but rough graffiti he found on walls and such.  He incorporated graffiti into his work, just not on walls unless someone would ask him to.  He still loves graffiti but it isn’t his true focus anymore. Mauricio is excited that some of his graffiti will be appearing in a new book titled “Label 228″ set to hit shelves in October of this year.  You can get your copy on Amazon.com.

Photography came to Mauricio a few years ago in 2007 by a complete accident.  He noticed an ad in the newspaper for Artsploration, sponsored by the United Arts of Central Florida.  They were looking for photographs of Orlando including the Central Florida area.  He looked through his bag of work and found a photo he loved called “Eden.”  He figured why not, so he sent his application and photo in, then waited for the results.  A few weeks later the results came in, shocking him a bit. He won first place and a prize of $2000.00, not bad for a picture taken on Hills Avenue in Orlando.  This win opened his eyes and his passion for photography.

Like his art, the urban style fits the inspiration for his work.  He really focuses on things that people would take for granted, or takes things that you wouldn’t think of walking by to be beautiful, and makes them into masterpieces through his eyes.  With photography, the art is truly seen through the eyes of the photographer.  It’s the job of the photographer to take what they see and change the mind of the people who view the piece.  This is the challenge that Mauricio loves to accomplish with each and every piece.  A good example of this is his photo of a New York alley.

Mauricio remembers that day, he was in New York during some crazy weather.  It was raining and cold, and he was walking past an alley that wasn’t pretty and definitely taken for granted.  Thousands of people passed this alley everyday, never taking a second look. Mauricio saw something special and took a photo.  The result is one of his most favorite pictures he has taken to date and one of his most requested pieces.

Art isn’t the only thing Mauricio is passionate about. One of his current projects is working with Icla Da Silva Foundation, whose purpose is to help minority and under privileged families with children who suffer with leukemia. Based out of New York, Mauricio is very passionate to lend his talents to help this wonderful organization.  To find out more, check out their web site www.icla.org

To have Mauricio do a commissioned piece for you, or to check out his work, or just contact him, please visit his web site at www.mauriciomurillo.com or his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/mauriciomurillo

Angeline Hazime- Turning Japaneesa

The world has been around so long we can’t even give an exact date of its creation.  Through those years, cultures have defined countries, people and religions. Each part of the world has had some impact on the future generations and those ideals bestowed from one generation to another, have blended through into the world today. These ideals were passed down through teachings, literature and art. Art has helped shape our communities and make this world unique.  That is exactly what Angeline Hazime found to be fascinating, thus inspiring her to teach and document through art.

 Hazime is a multi-talented artist, meaning she uses a variety of mediums and does them very well. She has studied many different cultures and religions from around the world, taking what she’s learned and converting it to art.  Hazime is able then to document the world as she sees it and how it impacts her life.

The most recent example of this is her phenomenal series, “Japanese Art.” This series is inspired by Japan, a country and culture that has always amazed Hazime. We know the dynasties that have ruled over this small Pacific Island and how much this culture has impacted our world. They have founded alternative natural medicines and have developed forms of karate. Japan had a major impact in World War II, and forever changed how we look at weapons of mass destruction. They are the innovators of great technology such as video games, televisions, cars and so much more. Japan has in some way, touched our lives because of something we know and love and hold dear to our hearts. Hazime takes this impact and puts it to art, for all to see and be wowed by.

Hazime’s Japanese collection right now only has four particular pieces. Those pieces are mixed-media since they are a collaboration of photography, graphic art, paint and pencil. Some of these pieces have a few mediums together, while others have just one.  Each piece in Hazime’s collection is very unique and individual in their own right. They are amazing pieces that glorify Japan’s culture and history.

A personal favorite of mine from the series is a Japanese Geisha, armed with a Katana sword, showing her power and mystique. On the other hand, the Geisha’s kimono shows her beauty and glorified feminine physique. She reminds me of a character in the movie, Mulan.  In this movie, there is a very brave and powerful young woman who wants to protect her father. This was in a time where it was forbidden for women to join the Emperor’s army; a great portrayal of both sides of the Japanese woman. I love the intricate detail on the border and fans that line the left of the picture. This is very similar to what you would see with authentic Japanese art, from composition, to colors, and detail.

Hazmine also has a few other series that she has worked on over the years. She loves drawing realistic portraits, to be as detailed as a painting would be. Most of these are done with pencil, but the end result is simply a stunning hand drawn portrait you’d swear was a photograph.

In 2008, Hazmine also illustrated a children’s book titled, “If Everyone Were Just Like Me.” This project she is very proud of because it’s a story that gives a lesson to children, and her art work will help a child retain the lesson that the book gives. Helping children and giving them something they can enjoy and love is a spectacular feeling.

I talked to this amazing artist and found that her goal for her work is to document cultures, tell of their wonderful uniqueness, and hope that it inspires younger generations to look into other cultures and religions and understand what makes them so unique. Hazmine would also like to see her art inspire others to pursue art as an outlet.

We think you will love Angeline Hazmine’s art.  Currently, she is working on a web site but you can see some of her pieces on her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/arhazime.