Meet Gregory Rourke | Artist, painter and creative director

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

Hi Gregory, why did you pursue a creative career?
I chose to pursue an artistic career for several different reasons. Art has always been an intrinsic passion and part of my life since I was a child, I am originally from Long Island NY and attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Growing up, the world was always so captivating and magical for me, and it shaped the lense of my imagination. It was something that I used as a simple form of escapism where I could practically daydream my way into a different mood or character. As I began to reflect on the subtleties and nuances of what I was perceiving, it began to inform my creative process as a painter and how I interpreted thoughts, emotions and forms. It was painting that helped me integrate my spirit into something that was truly unique and felt like I was exploring my deepest self. As a painter and artist, I’ve continued to try and connect this vast world inside with my purpose to reach others. I cannot see myself pursuing anything else after taking it this far!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Painting has revealed so much about how I see the world—it’s deeply emotional and solitary. I’ve always been inspired by the abstract expressionists, but also the spirit of Rock N’ Roll and how musicians can connect with an entire audience. This interactive connection is something I longed for when I began pursuing my creative career in full force. That desire led me to found Mystery Projects, my production company and creative agency.

With Mystery Projects, I wanted to step into the limitless of possibilities by adding a new sense of lore and mythology of non-traditional artistic experiences in Los Angeles. I consider myself an artist in the truest sense that my medium can blend or alternate within all industries of film, performance, music, fashion and fine art. With so much ground to cover, my goal is to honor innovative talent and explore new narratives where people can connect with art on a deeper level- sometimes experimental or immersed by my cinematic approach of incorporating set-design elements. Getting to where I am today has been a journey filled with challenges, experimentation, research, resilience, and growth, and testing every limit for the art, which at times has been extreme. Having experienced exploitation as an artist, I wanted to build an intentional platform and agency that respects and uplifts artists in ways I didn’t always experience myself.

Since starting in 2020, I’ve curated several exhibitions featuring artists from around the world. This November, I completed “Sister Midnight 2.” A four-day short film, music, and arts festival in LA that explores collective ritual, gothic surrealism and cult cinema. It was an exquisite experience—screening films in a site-specific location like the Heritage Square Museum, felt otherworldly and created a portal where audiences could immerse themselves in multidisciplinary practices. It drew in an incredible international crowd, with major headlining performances that transitioned between the film screenings. It felt like the ultimate culmination of my experiences -to carve a path as an artist that is entirely unique.

In the words of David Bowie: “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LA has everything you can dream of from amazing views, restaurants bars and culture. I never get tired of driving through Malibu and seeing the coastline- it will always remind me of the intro to “West Coast” by Lana Del Rey. I love all the old Hollywood spots like the Chateau Marmont, the Sunset Tower, The Beverly Hills Hotel. I like to do walks around the Silverlake Reservoir. I love the Ace theater in Downtown LA or having coffee in Silverlake or go for drinks at Zebulon or at Apotheka. I tend to go to lots of different art openings or events around town. There’s always so much to make of it all and more 😉

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?
I’ve been lucky to find great collaborators and friends who have helped me bring so many creative ideas to life. We all met working in an art gallery in Hollywood, and since then, we have pushed each other to execute amazing projects that have taken every form from film, fashion, live music, fine art, production, marketing- the list goes on. I am forever grateful for their support; they are both so talented! Please follow them- Jance Enslin (@jance.tv) and Nao Fesseha (@saint.yared)

Instagram: @lil_faun