The Peruvian artist known as Entes (real name Joan Jiménez) has been a muralist and promoter of urban art for over 22 years now, painting murals in more than 20 countries around the Americas, Europe, and in Africa. Now he is seen as one of the main urban art figures from his country at the international level.
When he first started out, his parents were opposed to the idea of him dedicating his life to drawing and said they would only allow it if it was related to a professional career like architecture. So, with the road to artistic expression closed at home, Entes was forced to take to the streets in search of spaces to draw and paint. Looking back, he says that this only motivated him more, and it taught him to be disciplined, respectful, and to keep the faith alive that he can achieve his dreams.
Interested in Afro-Peruvian culture, he bases his work on the investigation into marginalized groups in society, clandestine culture, and racial an class-based discrimination. His characters often have deep set gazes that tell stories of life on the streets, narrating impressions he collects and the day to day lives he witnesses in the city of Lima.
For many years, Entes has worked in association with Pésimo, another of the heavyweights of urban art in Peru (if you check out our article on Pésimo you will see a collaboration piece they did together). The pair, in addition to traveling the world making art, has promoted a number of new talents on the Peruvian urban art scene. In 2012, they created the most important graffiti festival in Perú, “Latidoamericano,” that quickly became popular on an international scale.
You can follow Entes on his Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/entes93/