Jean Betancourt, better known as Mr. Garek is a Venezuelan animation specialist and muralist living in Bogotá, Colombia since 2018. Mr. Garek’s work has been mutating over the years, started with pure graffiti, he started moving towards a more figurative style and now his work is characterized by a the use of a high degree of symbolic elements. Some of the most common themes this highly talented Venezuelan artist addresses are identity, migration, invisible borders, desires, and projections. Taking a broad overview of his work, you will notice a number of elements that are repeated such as the way hands are drawn, anatomical hearts, and the types of flowers used in his compositions.
His murals tend to be a cluster of elements that are not necessarily related to each other, such as the hearts he often uses, which he sees as the symbolic manifestation of dreams, passions, and, personal projections; especially those related to migrations where the theme of aspirations and dreams are particularly prevalent. Another recurring element is the portrayal of skulls, which he says represents human fragility and our humility even during times when we feel strong or unbeatable. In his murals you can also sense his strong identification with the place he grew up, for example, through the tropical foliage. He cherishes his Venezuelan and Latin American identity, which he likes to remember beyond borders.
Although Jean is currently in Colombia, a country that according to him has been very supportive, he wants to continue traveling and then at some point return to Venezuela to share his experiences.
You can check out his latest pieces on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/mr.garek/