Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaniel Rios.
Nathaniel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been drawing and creating art since I can remember. I come from a family of the artist. My mother is a painter and my sister is an illustrator/fashion designer.
So, growing up creating art was very common in my household. Combined with my interest in comic books and cartoons it lead me to the world of character design and animation.
As I got to high school, I started diving into hip hop culture heavy, through the dance element of a break’n. From being involved with the culture, I started to learn more about the history and the other elements like graffiti.
Me having the background in visual arts, I started to gravitate towards graffiti art and it’s culture. Getting a glimpse of that world and meeting so many great writers in South Florida, I was able to learn a lot about being an individual. By learning to develop an original style and creating my own lane, I was then able to come up with my alias 2NES UNOe (pronounced Toons Uno). As a way to showcase my love for characters and cartoons.
I, then, went on to pursue my passion for Animation in Orlando. It was the first time for me to be in classes for art. I was able to soak in so much knowledge and apply it right then and there, as I already had the idea for what I wanted to be as an artist. I just had to apply the techniques I hadn’t learned when I was younger to enhance my skills.
I eventually left school earlier for financial reasons, as I didn’t want to be too much in debt. So, I decided to to go into learning about graphic design and eventually go in that direction for work. I noticed I was getting a lot of work in that avenue. So, I decided to study more about it.
While this is all going on, I was currently dedicating a lot of time in the underground dance scene. From battling across the U.S. in many events to performing as a Living Statue In Orlando, this allowed me to have an outlet and create a new network for work.
In the Hip Hop world, the jam flyers have always been important in the culture since its humble beginnings in the early ’70s. The break-in events I was attending and seeing on the internet had some of the best illustrations I’ve seen representing the culture.
I was heavily inspired by a lot of these illustrations, i.e. the posters for (BOTY) Battle of the Year in Germany done by Mode 2 (@mode2official). As well a lot of the events done locally in Florida and the US by Spen 1 (@spen. 1).
With all these different experiences in these creative worlds, I have been able to carve out my own lane and destination. That is where I am today, just enjoying the journey within the hip hop culture through dance and the Visual Arts. Remaining a student and gathering the gems given to me the veterans in the culture. To then pass it on to the future generations after me, to inspire others that walk a similar path.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it hasn’t been the smoothest, but it definitely could be worst.
Nothing too crazy has happened outside of the normal “starving artist” moments, making ends meet and balancing work and my career.
But I feel all artist go through that stage in order to get to where they need to be.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with 2NES UNOe – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I like to just consider my self a creative, as I express my self through many mediums.
In the Visual arts, I specialize mostly in Illustrations and Characters. I’m known for my iconic monkeys, event flyers, remixes on popular cartoons and just being a big kid that loves hip hop.
I have two monkeys (named 2nes and unoe) that were created as a way to portray myself as cartoons, they originated because my birthday falls under the year of the Monkey on the Chinese zodiac.
I use a lot of references to hip hop culture in their design. Mostly how the B-Boys used to dress back in the late 70s – early ’80s. My color scheme for these characters is normally in greys with splashes of gold. The gold is used as a way to bring attention to certain details in the artwork, as gold is looked at as a luxury in many cultures. The grey is a nod to the old rubber hose cartoons from the ’30s and noir films in the ’40s. The color scheme and character design is my way to pay homage to the generations before me as well the origins of hip hop culture. I use this same style to then remix some of my favorite cartoons growing up.
When it comes to the artwork for the events, I treat them as individual concepts and themes. As each event has its own vibe and concept, I’m able to dive into each poster with a fresh perspective. Tackling different aesthetics, topics, and layouts. I’m heavily influenced by old film posters from the 60s-90s.
So my main goal is to narrate the vibe of the events like how the poster would do for the films. I usually illustrate the party itself with various dance styles in a crowd or original characters based on the theme of the event. With my background in graphic design, I’m able to do the typography and layout design for the posters.
With this service, I’ve been able to help my community with their events and graphics needs. From promoters to entrepreneurs having a new business. It makes me very proud that I’ve been able to share my vision and bring others to life.
My connection within the dance world allows my work to stand out because It is such a big part of my style. My character poses have strong foundations in the dance styles. So, not only does it speak for others within the community, but it provides a window to others that are interested in the outside.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
These last few years have been some of my proudest, as I’ve accomplished a lot of my personal goals. From being able to work with my heroes, to gaining new experiences.
In my art career, my proudest moment was earlier last year. As I was able to have my first art exhibit at Redefine Art Gallery in Orlando, Fl. I always admired the gallery and said to myself that I would want my work in one of their shows. So, when I got contacted to produce a solo exhibit it was an honor.
In my dance career, I recently won a qualifier to battle overseas. It was my first time out of the country. So, to be blessed with the opportunity of being in Vietnam to represent the States for dance was such a proud moment.
This moment honestly has motivated me to continue even more, as I know this just the beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://2nesunoe.bigcartel.com/
- Phone: 15616746046
- Email: satmrncar2nes@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/2nes_unoe
- Facebook: facebook.com/2nesunoe
- Other: behance.net/2nesunoe
Image Credit:
Personal Photo – Isacc Yi Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
