Rain is an brilliant emerging visual artist from the 757. In addition to his art endeavors he also owns his own clothing brand, OneWing. This week we got a chance to hear more from him on his aspirations, his influences and his ideas on the creative culture.

 

Question: Where are you from

Answer: I’m from Abbeville, Alabama but I’ve lived in Virginia Beach, VA for most of my upraising. 

 

Question:  When and How did you discover that you had a passion for art?

Answer: I’ve been creating since I was young. I didn’t really know that it was my passion until I graduated high school. This is mostly due to me taking an AP Art Studio class my senior year. My teacher helped me develop a more fundamental understanding of Art and helped me develop my skill sets more. Overall, she just helped me sharpen the talent and encouraged me to keep creating. 

 

 

Question: Who do you consider to be your biggest influences?

Answer: As of now the only artists that have influenced me are Salvador Dali, Francis Bacon, and George Condo. I learn how to layer paint and how to reach different textures by looking at their work. The subject matter that I paint is not influenced by them though. 

 

Question: What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome as a creative?

Answer: The hardest thing that I have had to overcome as an Artist is my own self-doubt if I’m being completely honest. That and self-discipline are two things that I had to really push myself to understand. 

 

 

Question: What do you think is your biggest accomplishment thus far?

 Answer: My biggest accomplishment as of now would have to be my “The Clouded Perception” conceptual project that included a photo series and my first solo exhibition in Washington D.C. 

 

Question: What upcoming projects do you have in store for this year?

Answer: For this year I don’t have any more projects that I am looking to release. For the next few weeks I am going to be promoting the exhibition, marketing the exhibition, and releasing prints sometime within the next few weeks. I do have several solo projects and collaborative projects in the works for 2020 though.  

 

Question: How do you feel about the 757 creative scene?

Answer: I feel like the 757 is full of people who like the creative scene. This isn’t a bad thing though. It’s only a bad thing when people who like the creative scene want to be a part of it without knowing what it is they actually love to create. So, when you have a bunch of people who are creating aimlessly then you start to see things become repetitive due to lack of passion. I think that if you like to create that’s awesome, but when you love to create there’s a different drive that comes with that love. I think it would be dope to see and hear things that weren’t so repetitive and derivative by nature. 

 

Question: What qualities about yourself do you feel separates you from other artists?

Answer: . I think what separates myself from some other artists is passion and work ethic. I love creating and it’s what I think about every day, from the moment I wake up until the time I go to sleep. 

 

Question: What was your biggest failure as an artist and how did you overcome it?

Answer: My biggest failure has been not marketing as much as I could have for the past three years. 

 

Question: What advice do you have to upcoming artists who want to make a name for themselves?

Answer: I don’t think I have made a name for myself yet, so I don’t really know from that perspective. However, I do think I am on the right path. But, with the little experience I do have, I would say that to get their name out there more, upcoming artist should learn and network as much as they can. 

Check out Rains art and connect with him on social media!

Twitter: @raintheneo

IG: @raintheneo

Information On “The Clouded Perception” Solo Exhibition: https://www.onewing-owtf.com/exhibitions

OneWing Website: https://www.onewing-owtf.com/