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

Hi Aaron, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Honestly, creating has always been the one thing that felt real to me. Since I was a kid, I’ve been drawn to art, music, design—anything that let me express what I couldn’t always put into words. It’s more than just making cool stuff; it’s about telling stories, connecting with people, and leaving something behind that has some meaning. I didn’t really see another path that would feel as true to who I am. This is just what I’m built to do. My grandfather was a huge inspiration, my grandmother and parents were all creatives, it was in my DNA.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m mostly known for painting a character of a vicious panda. I’ve been doing it for over 23 years now, starting back in 2003. From gallery and museum shows across the U.S. to Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, South America, and even Mongolia, I’ve left my mark with my angry panda paintings and large-scale murals.

Over the years, I’ve collaborated with companies like Kidrobot, Fandango, Toyota, Silentstage, and Disney. I’ve had the pleasure of being featured in various publications, magazines, and books around the world, and I even appeared as an artist character on the popular TV show Hawaii Five-0. I released a few designer toys and sculptures over the years. I’ve also worked with a few streetwear brands out of Hawaii and released my own shoe in 2007 with Converse.

One of the biggest highlights of my career was doing humanitarian work along the border of Mae Sot, Thailand. It was a project called Little Lotus, where we used art to support Burmese refugee children and survivors of human trafficking. We helped beautify schools with murals and art projects, creating a beautiful cultural exchange and bringing a little bit of happiness into those kids’ lives.

I started out during the early days of social media, building connections and growing in the art community through Myspace. That’s how I first met a lot of artists and got linked up with galleries. I also connected through the streetwear scenes in California and Hawaii—people would pass my name around to organizers of art shows, and I was lucky to have a solid community that helped push my work forward.

In the beginning, it definitely wasn’t easy. Shipping artwork overseas was one thing, but I quickly realized it was way more impactful to show up in person. So early on, I would pay out of pocket to fly to my own shows, and that face-to-face networking made a huge difference. People were already drawn to my art, but meeting them and sharing where it came from opened even more doors.

Success didn’t happen overnight. The shows came, sure—but along with every win came plenty of failures. That’s something you have to learn to embrace. Failing teaches you how to get back up, and that’s what keeps you going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If it was a week-long trip, I’d definitely look into what hip-hop, funk, or soulful concerts were happening—or maybe catch a dance festival or jam. Living in Los Angeles, there’s always something going on. There are tons of DJ events and dance parties we could check out, but if we wanted to keep it more low-key, I’d take them to some of my favorite spots to eat around the South Bay and Long Beach.

So here is a one-day scenario, here’s what I’d do: In the morning, we’d hit up Corridor Flow in Lomita for an ube latte and a small bowl of arroz caldo. After that, we could dig through records in Long Beach at shops like 12s or Record Box, then check out the Long Beach Walls mural tour—there are a lot of dope pieces by my friends all over the city.

From there, maybe head over to San Pedro to take in the sights. The Korean Bell is always a cool spot—it’s where they filmed The Usual Suspects—and you can soak up some vitamin D while looking out across the ocean to Catalina Island. It’s just a great place to chill.

Later, we could stop by Poke and More in Lomita to visit Auntie and grab some island-style poke or a loco moco. After that, we’d probably head back to the crib, kick back, and listen to some of the records we picked up earlier—maybe get on the turntables and catch up. To wrap it up, we’d hit Spicy Sugar in Long Beach for dinner. They have really good Thai food, and the khao soi is fire.

I’d enjoy meeting with friends in Hawaii even more since I know the spots on the island would make an amazing experience.

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?
Francisco Bonifácio Palma—that was my grandfather’s name. He was a painter, sculptor, botanist, craftsman, carpenter, musician, spear free-diving fisherman, designer, cook, and calligrapher. He was an incredibly creative person, and I grew up surrounded by his oil paintings and sculptures decorating our home. He even built a koi pond with a waterfall inside the house.

He definitely inspired me. He had a whole library of National Geographic magazines, travel books, and encyclopedias about animals and wildlife. As a kid, I’d hang out with him, watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries, those classic Mutual of Omaha wildlife shows, and Bob Ross videos. I didn’t realize it then, but all those experiences were laying the groundwork for my own life.

My grandfather always dreamed of being a traveler and an artist, exploring the world. But with family responsibilities, he had to stay put, raise my mom and my aunt, and become the man of the house—so art remained his hobby.

Fast-forward to my own journey as a full-time artist, and it feels like I’ve been carrying the torch for him. Art has given me the chance to travel, to see different cultures, experience wildlife and nature firsthand, and encounter the kinds of art he once admired in books and on TV.

It feels good to look back and realize that everything I witnessed as a kid with him eventually manifested in my own life. All that time we spent together really shaped who I am.

Website: https://fangandfur.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Instagram: @woes

Image Credits
Aaron Martin photo credit.

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