Born and raised in Mid-City Los Angeles, Vanessa Prado, aka Nessi Arte, is known for her street art/murals that are inspired by her community. Nessi uses bold colors in her paintings inspired by her parent's hometown of Michoacan, Mexico, with inspiration from the streets of Los Angeles.

Her fuel to create street art/murals was sparked by her family, who pushed her into creating art pieces for their businesses. What was a casual past time became her hustle and a way of highlighting her culture. As a mother, she's inspired daily by her son and is constantly juggling her passion for art and motherhood. Nessi Arte's artwork can be seen throughout several Latinx-owned businesses in Los Angeles, such as Pinches Tacos, Rizos Curls, Hija de tu Madre, and La Michoacan Boyle Heights.

1. How long have you been drawing (doing murals), and how long did it take you to develop your style?

My interest in painting murals took place the summer I was transitioning from middle school to high school. Inspired by Banksy, I started creating stencils and spray painting on my school items. I went from spray painting stencils on walls to painting with brushes after being asked to paint for a local Mexican Restaurant.

There is no limit to developing a style as I like to evolve and try new techniques. With every mural I paint, my confidence grows, and my style becomes stronger. Being consistent and making a lot of mistakes has helped the quality of my work. A mural requires me to be vulnerable with a wall, the surrounding community, the artwork and challenged by the space and the people who live nearby.

2. How is your personality reflected in your work?

I want to think of myself as a simple and straight forward person. What you see is what you get, and my artwork becomes just as straightforward. There is a small sense of playfulness in every painting as well. Each mural has at least a small section of bright hues, which differentiates my paintings from being entirely realistic.

4. What was the last piece of art that inspired you?

My eyes are still recovering from watching Queen and Slim. The film is a complete art! Representation matters in all platforms and this movie inspired me to represent where I come from and the experiences that shaped me. It is vital to use our platforms and create safe spaces for our people.   

5. How do you balance being a mom, working, and keeping up with your projects?

With the help of my Madre and my family, I can keep up with creative projects and work. I take the easiest day out of my week to plan out and list the chores, projects, and/or work that needs to be done. I use this time as me time and find it satisfying to have an organized layout. It truly takes a village to raise a child.

6. What are your goals, or what do you hope to achieve in the future?

The next step in my career is to create merchandise with my artwork. My goal is to have my unique art pieces readily available for people to wear and display proudly. I also hope to facilitate more painting classes within the next two years. I would love to host either paint and sips for adults and paint nights for kids that don’t have sufficient resources to acquire art lessons. I hope when attending one of my paint sessions, people will relieve stress and find a safe escape to their everyday lives.

7. What does being a "Queen" mean to you?

You are a Queen when you are genuine. A queen can handle rough patches in her life and a step away from what no longer serves her. You are a Queen when you take time for yourself and become selfish to your needs. By taking care of yourself, you genuinely begin to take care of others, and the love is reciprocated. It is also ok to not have it together all the time and adjust the crown as needed. Our crowns need polishing from time to time, just like our lives do. When you come from genuine love, you are a Queen, and your work will reflect it.

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