Guillermo “ASMA Speeks” Sotelo: Meet the Artist
Guillermo ‘ASMA Speeks’ Sotelo is an artist born and raised in Grand Rapids, currently living in southwest Michigan. With over 10 years of experience in writing graffiti, ASMA is using his roots in this culture and art form to push his artwork to the next level. Painting on walls has been a hobby since he could actually write, now he’s doing it professionally. From mural installations with Lions And Rabbits Center for the Arts, Condado and Founders Brewing, to affecting change by being an integral piece to the Windows GR project. ASMA also manages and maintains a legal graffiti wall in Grand Rapids’ Creston neighborhood. All of his public art coupled with his passion for graffiti has given ASMA a new outlook on how art can and should be received by society. Art should be made available to all people on all levels and ASMA is on his way to make it happen.
Q: How did you get involved with Lions and Rabbits?
A: It was a mixture of references from local artists and a member of the Arts Advisory board. Nick Nortier suggested I tap in and then shortly after that I approached the arts advisory council about my idea for a legal graffiti wall and they sent me to Hannah Berry and the rest was history.
Q: What themes/ideas are highlighted in your work? Intentions?
A: The work I create is a convoluted palette of a part time graffiti writer wishing he could paint more freight trains with his crew mates doused with an abundance of full time fatherhood, paired nicely with a plate full of piping hot tamales-and conchas. Never forget the concha’s. In my work I utilize the skills I’ve learned from over a decade of writing graffiti to inform my approach to expressing myself. Most of my work begins with the first medium I ever learned how to use; Spray paint. Generally, works on paper and canvas don’t get spray painted, but that is where the ideas start. From there all the other facets of my life line up to form an amalgamation of Chicano culture, Graffiti culture and some sort of dialogue or rumination about being a father.
Q: Run us through your creative process - How do you start, flow and finish?
A: Most of my pieces begin with a loose concept based off of whatever project I am working on at the moment. Up until very recently I’ve only made art for the project, none for myself. Now that I’ve completed work for my solo show, Broken Alphabet, I am on a mission to create work just for me that I hope to showcase in more personal solo shows in the future.
Q: What obstacles/struggles have you encountered throughout your career as an artist? Or challenges you face through your creative process
A: Struggles as an artist? Access to resources and knowledge regarding being a professional artist. Challenges in the creative process? Finding time to create and also making sure my art stays true to me and my vision.
Q: Can you share a little more about how your art career started. Have you always been in your field? Were you self taught or had additional schooling?
A: My art career truly started with Lions and Rabbits. It was because of my work on the After Dark project that helped me see that art could be a career and how much value my skills have. Everything about art I know I taught myself.
Q: Who/what are your biggest inspirations that play a key role in the work you produce?
A: My family overall inspires me to create consistently. Other inspirations come from hiphop, the graffiti culture, my Chicano culture and the world around me.
Q: Is there anything you wish you could change about your work?
A: My work is exactly what it needs to be in the moment.
Q: What mistakes have you made? What did you learn from them? What are you trying to get better at?
A: I’ve made plenty of technical mistakes, especially concerning murals. Measuring, materials etc. Every mistake I’ve made I’ve learned how to correct it. I’m trying to get better at making art more consistently as well as doing the business side of art not efficiently.
Q: Do you feel supported by your community as an artist? In what ways could you feel more supported?
A: Since I’ve started working within the community it’s been nothing but love and support. I think it would be better if there were a more centralized artist council that fought for artists rights and helped allocate funds to artists that our actively working within the community. Especially artists that are from Grand Rapids.
Q: Describe a moment when you felt most proud of yourself
A: Being apart of Element 7 and helping with Windows Gr makes me very proud.
Q: Is there anything you wish you could change about your work?
A: My work is exactly what it needs to be in the moment.
Q: What mistakes have you made? What did you learn from them? What are you trying to get better at?
A: I’ve made plenty of technical mistakes, especially concerning murals. Measuring, materials etc. Every mistake I’ve made I’ve learned how to correct it. I’m trying to get better at making art more consistently as well as doing the business side of art not efficiently.
Q: Do you feel supported by your community as an artist? In what ways could you feel more supported?
A: Since I’ve started working within the community it’s been nothing but love and support. I think it would be better if there were a more centralized artist council that fought for artists rights and helped allocate funds to artists that our actively working within the community. Especially artists that are from Grand Rapids.
Q: What's most important to you about what you create, and how it impacts others?
A: I want my art and my career to show my son that he doesn’t have to work a 9-5 to just survive but that he can thrive chasing his passions.
Q: What's next? What are you currently focusing on or looking forward to?
A: I currently have a solo exhibition happening right now called Broken Alphabet: A love letter to Graffiti at KRASL Art Center in St. Joseph, Mi. The exhibit runs until May 15th and then I will also be exhibiting art in a group show at the UICA called Coming Home. That will be up until August I believe. We will also be doing a few more legal wall events this year and hopefully a few more murals.
Q: What does being an artist mean to you? What is the function of artists in society?
A: What a heavy question! Simply, artists are the visionaries of society. Through their eyes we can see the futures we need.
Q: And of course, if you could chose any vehicle to travel, real or imaginary what would it be?
A: A M$&F$&!in X-Wing!
Follow more of Guillermo’s work on www.asmaspeeks.comand instagram.com/asma.speeks
Thank you for tuning into this week’s Meet the Artist, be sure to checkout more artist stories every week on our blog!
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