Meet Leonardo Vargas | Fine Artist, Choreographer & Music Producer from Palo Alto

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

Hi Leonardo, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I always grew up with art, with the biggest influence being my mother, which made art a fundamental element throughout my whole life. Art has always been everywhere in the world for tens of thousands of year, but it still has been misunderstood constantly. But, by spending years of my life studying it, understanding it, and personally experimenting its boundaries, I have always keep getting surprised by what art can do and the impact it can have. Art has been almost like a hidden language I have learned to understand and speak, and I was able to slowly understand the stories people have always told. This made me eager to make the language of art something universally understood so that other people can enjoy and understand how human we all are.

However on the other hand, I also believe that today the job of an artist has been challenged in many ways. It has pushed people away due to its lack of financial stability and overall risk. However when I see people like Virgil Abloh, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and Takashi Murakami being able to expand their art globally and outside the canvas and frames, I knew that there is still much room for art to grow. I plan to further expand art’s boundaries to become a more vibrant and enriching experience.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Although I am still a student, I always find time to pursue ideas of art, music, and business. Being 19-years old gives a lot of freedom to take risks and opportunities to surprise yourself of your potential. Last year Aaron Kim and I completed our first mural in downtown Palo Alto during the midst of the pandemic to uplift our community. This year we still continue to use our works to uplift others and we make art always an exciting expereince for others. Today I still paint, but I have focused more on installations using unique materials such as microspheres, new paint technology, and ferrofluids. I make art to effective reflect complex emotions I have felt with my own life experiences, with music, and views of society, which is why I began to pair my works with things like music and fragrances to help the viewer understand the specific emotion quicker. I am personally an artist that doesn’t just paint or makes installations, but one that finds opportunities to curate shows and exhibitions to raise awareness of other great artists and their ideas. Same with music, although I continue to make my own music. I also plan to organize a creative space where others can express and execute ideas more effectively and freely. But in other words, I still do not know what I fully want to do with my life, because I am still 19, but every time I have an idea I always plan to execute it and push, push, push to see where it goes. I found that my biggest challenge is the always the first step, the thoughts of failure and risks leads to laziness and insecurity, but the more challenges I have taken the stronger I have become allowing myself to be push through. One of my most important life lessons was simply to just do it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
L.A is a great place, and a city I keep popping in and out of, and staying for less than a couple of days. Nonetheless, it is a place full of surprises and has options for everyone. I would have to start my day with coffee at BlackWood in West Hollywood. But I am Mexican so I have to recommend a stop at “Guerrilla Tacos” truck. I also love art so I would take any new visitors to The Getty or the LA Country Museum of Modern Art. One of my favorite dinner spots has to be ‘”Perch” in Downtown L.A, an amazing French restaurant with a great view of the city lights especially at night since it sits on a a rooftop. I would also try to fit in a live music concert, so I would have to recommend the KCRW Summer Nights. I also think that El Matador state beach should be stop at some point, especially during a sunset if you love the beach. Overall, I just love a great and unique ambiance.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would have to say Luc L’Heureux one of my greatest mentors and most ambitious friend. Usually when one wants to pursue a career, you simply do not know what it truly is like to be in it. But Luc L’Heureux was someone that did not only just show me what it was like to be in the world of music, but showed the endless possibilities to one has with creative ideas. He was the stepping stool for me from making music and becoming a music producer and I always love to bounce off ideas and ask for advice. I generally always try to surround myself with people smarter than me, more advanced in their careers, or just has the same mindset and Luc L’Heureux has been one of my best examples. Luc is a great and very talented actor, musician, and dancer, and someone that really helped me make music an opportunity for the future. So even though one is dedicated to purse big goals, it always is great to have someone like Luc there with of you to help you get there and never lose sight of your goals.

Website: leovargas.me

Instagram: Leonardo.vrgas

Linkedin: Leonardo Vargas