Luis Martins was at a young age when he first met spray paints and this experience opened the door for his street art work. While exploring mixtures for his work, Luis tried many techniques and finally created his unique approach by using china ink, latex, pastel, acrylic, anything and everything to generate the sophisticated chaos his artwork portrays. L7m undoubtable artistic skill cleverly mixes with, passion, human emotion, beauty of life, city’s disarray, neglect and of course the surroundings. All these concepts are transposed and are influential to the street works by this extraordinary artist. His love for freedom, signified with his bird paintings, now takes him travelling around the world…and GS were lucky enough to catch up with L7M for a chat. Check it out…

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

What age did you start painting on the street?

L7M

I started painting at a very young age. I was around nine or ten when I drew my first paintings. I remember it clearly because it was when my grandfather passed away.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

Who and what were your influences?

L7M

I am influenced and inspired by everything around me. I am especially influenced and amazed by Nature, it´s just the way I see life.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

 

 

GraffitiStreet

What was the graffiti / streetart scene like when you were growing up?

L7M

I was born and raised in a conservative city that was a stranger to the street art/graffiti scene and because of this I decided to paint in abandoned places to try and create my own style which people could easily identify as unique and my own.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

When did people start noticing your artwork?

L7M

People began to notice my work wordwide about five years ago. I think it has now become global due to the fact that I travel as much as I can to spread and make art available for everyone. In the last four years I have visited twenty-seven countries and I believe this was very important for the repercussion of my work.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

What does it feel like to paint outside on the streets?

L7M

Painting on the streets is food for my soul. It´s what allows me to create what I create and be at peace with myself. It makes me feel alive and I feel completely free when I’m painting on the streets. I have said this before in other interviews and I will say it again, it´s the most honest type of art in the world.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

You paint beautiful birds full of movement in each stroke bringing the bird alive. What inspired you to paint birds?

L7M

My interest in birds intensified when I realized that I wanted my art to be available for everyone everywhere. Nowadays I live like a bird, today I may be in France but soon I will be in another country, migrating searching for food and painting is undoubtedly my food.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

Your style is unique, a mixture of realism and abstract, and you have a special gift that brings movements to your works. How did this evolve?

L7M

I remember in the beginning people criticized me and I think that that’s normal. New things often cause strange reactions from people but I was working on two things I really enjoyed which were Realism and Abstractionism. Later I was introduced to Rayonism and became very interested in it. So I decided to mix everything that fascinated me. My main focus in painting is movement. I want to make people understand the chaos, the order and the beauty. When these three elements are put together in a painting it is also possible to observe detail and symbols.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

You also paint faces of angels, what do they signify to you ?

L7M

I am interested in faces because I believe everyone has a secret side, a hidden face. Most people won’t show you their true self very easily. So the idea is to show that everyone has a darker side that they wish to hide. This is just my opinion and I prefer to paint anonymous faces, free and spontaneous creations of my imagination.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

Emotion has a large part in your painting and you paint from the heart. What has been your most emotional painting and why?

L7M

I do my best in all of my paintings. There is always something new that touches me and that transpires to my paintings, it could be a new life experience or something about the people around me. It´s really hard for me to choose the painting that touched me the most. However, I was once painting a face while someone that was watching me began to cry saying the painting was too intense. That was when I realized the power that art and painting have to play with human emotions even in a public place like the street where people normally conceal their emotions.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

What has been your favourite project so far?

L7M

I still don´t have a favorite project. I plan on doing a big social project in order to help under privileged children who don´t have many options and opportunities in life.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

What are the challenges painting on the streets compared to the studio?

L7M

Many times on the street our time is very limited compared to the time we have in a studio. Also we have to finance our street projects with money out of our own pocket! But, I must confess, I love the spirit of independence that exists in street art – going out and leaving something from you to the world.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

L7M Photo © L7M FB

L7m – Simul Consumentur Canvas

L7m – Altero Volavit Intercluditur Canvas

 

GraffitiStreet

You have 405,021 likes on Facebook page alone. How does the sudden boom in fans make you feel?!

L7M

I don´t really care much about the amount of likes on Facebook but I am happy and very grateful that my work is able to reach so many people over the internet. It´s amazing that I can be in Haiti and my fans and followers all over the world can know what I’m working on and see what I’m doing almost in real time.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

GraffitiStreet

You have been able to travel the world with your skills as an artist. How have you grown in life's university?

L7M

Each destination presented its own culture and unique challenges. The language barrier was sometimes the hardest obstacle to overcome. However, I find all of this kind of magical and I really believe that we as human beings can do anything we put our heart into. Take me for example, I´m living like my art – I’m a bird and I will keep on flying and spreading color and feelings all across the planet.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

 

GraffitiStreet

Is there anywhere in the world that you would love to paint and haven't visited yet?

L7M

Yes, I would like to paint in Chernobyl as well as in every country that is poor in art and information in an attempt to broaden their horizons and hopefully inspire people as well.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

 

GraffitiStreet

Always believe in the future of your dreams... What are your dreams?

L7M

My dream is never to sleep and always stay wide awake making art and making people feel that we all need art in our lives.

L7M Photo © L7M FB

Thank you L7M for a great interview. Birds are not meant to be caged but to fly free, have freedom and spread their wings for the world to see how beautiful they are, and L7M portrays this beautifully in his artwork.

For L7m available art check out our store here.

Photos courtesy of L7M Facebook