Sam Flores: Graffiti-Infused Fine Art

Some might say that Sam Flores was born an artist. Painting and drawing since he was a little boy, Flores is always looking to develop his creative side, no matter how much success he’s achieved. He paints characters that are immersed in tragic worlds, where beauty and darkness seem to be able to harmoniously coexist. Given their brightly colored surroundings, why are his characters’ eyes almost always closed and their hands tightly clenched? Flores tell us that they are “hiding from the viewer, blind to their surroundings. They are withdrawn and self-involved. To see into their eyes means that you can see into their souls.”

The artist was born in New Mexico where he lived for the first twenty years of his life until he packed up and moved to San Francisco in 1995. His paintings take inspiration from his years as a graffiti artist but also have elements of fine art in them. He has a keen eye for color and contrast, creating spellbinding stories that make you feel as though you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole.
Sam Flores

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