Meet Claudia Rivera | Illustrator & Muralist

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

Hi Claudia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I knew I didn’t want to work a 9-5 & make someone else’s dreams come true. I knew that I wanted to be my own boss. That I had something to say & something new to give to the world. Klo Art is for anyone and everyone who is looking for safety and understanding. For the individual who many not quite know the words but finds them in one of my prints, wheat pastes or stickers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The idea of Klo Art came about when I started doing street art back in college. I knew I had something to say & I needed to get it out into the world. Klo Art is all about love & acceptance, & street art was the perfect way for me to get my message out to the masses. I didn’t really know who my audience was but I knew someone in all of New York City would connect with my art & message. The more I had put my work out on the street & the different areas I was hitting, I was able to find more people in the street art community. They are such an awesome & welcoming community. Through friends I started getting into galleries and group shows. That, with the combination of instagram presented me with an even larger community & more opportunities. It was definitely not an easy journey. Street art is a commitment. In a fast past city you need to be just as fast. Work goes up and work comes down. You need to maintain your presence & be consistent. I knew people were relying on me to get Klo more out there. I realized that there was a demand & since I became a freelancer.
My journey as an artist is not over. I haven’t even reached half of my goals. There is still so much more I have to do. But the more work I put out the more meaningful connections I make. And that’s what keeps me going. I love art, I love what I do, & I couldn’t be more humbled by the impact I’ve made.

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?
The day has to start with either Hungry Ghost in Williamsburg for coffee & croissants or Ainsle in Williamsburg for brunch. Next would be Venus over Manhattan Gallery for Contemporary Art & the Moma for Surrealist Art, ( the Rene Magritte section is my favorite!). For good thrift & vintage, would either go to Beacons in Brooklyn or Love Day 31 in Astoria. Then Red’s Taco’s in Williamsburg for Birria. Spectacle movie theater for B-rated films. Artichoke pizza slice at Artichoke Pizza in Williamsburg. Then probably would end the night with dancing at House of Yes or cocktails at Velvet Brooklyn. Perfect itinerary for a local’s day in New York.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out the fantastic team at Keep a Breast, Shaney Jo Darden, Lorene Carpentier & Mona Mukerjea-Gehrig. Thank you for you friendship and kindness. Peace & Love

Website: klo-art.com

Instagram: @kloart_

Image Credits
Lorene Carpentier