Meet Agustin Equihua Ortiz | Artist/printmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Agustin Equihua Ortiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Agustin, why did you pursue a creative career?
I initial started drawing and having a love for it. As a kid I world ask me parents to enroll me in art classes which they did. As I progressed in drawing and friends appreciated my art, I felt it was a worthwhile endeavor. I felt encouraged.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make hand carved block prints. I carve into linoleum or compressed board to create an image. I essentially make a large stamp, roll ink on it, and then I I run it through a printing press onto paper. In the recent past I teamed up with other artists who were making recycled handmade paper. The recycled paper came from plant fibers. The plants we used were water lilies which happened to be an invasive species in Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico. By removing the plants and recycling them into handmade paper, we created a sustainable project to clean-up the lake with art. Local community members worked as paper producers while artists created block prints to be pressed onto the paper.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend came to visit the L.A. area I would tour them to DTLA arts district to eat German sausages and drink craft beer. I would take them to dinner to Little Tokyo. Visit Olvera St., Grand Central Market, L.A. Live, etc. We would visit Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach,l maybe Malibu. I would also take them to Long Beach to eat and drink at Ballast Point Brewery. I guess I have a thing for Breweries. As far as sites go, We would go to Griffith Observatory, LACMA, Sunset Blvd, Then we would eat at my favorite spots: Apollonias Pizzeria, Ravellos Osteria, and Silver Lake Ramen.

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?
Art making has been a life long activity since childhood. I’ve had many people encourage me since then, my parents, friends, teachers, and mentors. However in the recent years my partner Eunice Garcia has been extremely supportive. She has learned how to handle a printing press and now helps me print our linocuts.

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Image Credits
Agustin Equihua-Ortiz