Meet Dave Arredondo | Character Designer & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dave Arredondo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I was tired of working on everybody else’s projects but my own. That’s when I decided to switch to an entirely new industry to focus on my personal goals, pursue my dreams, and passions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is all about seeing beyond our own skin, capturing its unique self by looking past any cultural differences. My love for diversity, fashion, and the storytelling behind every piece I create, that’s what keeps me busy, inspired, and motivated every single day.

It wasn’t easy to overcome the challenges to become independent, and have creative freedom. A big lesson that I learned is to stop denying your own skills, stop pleasing others, and don’t be afraid to start from scratch. Trust your gut, follow your heart and listen to your inner voice. Life could end at any time, so don’t waste your time working on somebody else’s projects.

Focusing on my own art by creating an entirely new collection during the pandemic helped me reconnect with myself. Occasionally we need to disconnect to reconnect later on, without forgetting our history, traditions, our true essence, and that we’re all part of the same planet.

My goal is to inspire everyone to look more carefully at the crowds around them, stop for a minute and contemplate the beauty of being different. Be proud of your own features, and appreciate other people’s features too. In a few words, embrace the spectacular mess that you truly are.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Brooklyn, NYC. So if anyone comes to visit me, I will take them to my favorite local restaurants in Bushwick, explore Williamsburg’s local stores and wine bars. Visiting the Brooklyn Museum to see one of the temporary exhibits is a must, as well as seeing the sunset in Domino Park or Dumbo.

The beautiful thing about NYC more than anything else, is that you can immerse yourself in its colorful sights and sounds, meet the locals, and admire the architecture. As an Artist myself, I will definitely take you to the Chelsea private galleries and meet the new contemporary artists who are making history today.

A day tour around in East Village so you can spoil your taste buds with Argentine, Australian, Greek, and North African fare, without having to walk too much. Not to mention that a night excursion to SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown speakeasies is a must.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The first shoutout goes to my mentor Maria Elena Ludewig who not only taught me how to paint but made me fall in love with Art. Thanks to her, I began discovering my own style, technique, and subjects of interest at a very young age.

Also, the biography book of Steve Jobs by Water Isaacson changed my perspective and helped me to start doing things differently, care less about other’s opinions, and fight for my dreams.

Website: https://dave-arredondo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davear12/