Meet Luanna a.k.a. Tortz | Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Luanna a.k.a. Tortz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Luanna, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
All my life since I was little, I have always known I had a passion for the arts. So when in choosing what path I wanted to go in life not necessarily just focusing on a career, I knew it had to be in something creative where I was always going to be challenged both mentally and physically. Being a creative is hard work, there are days sometimes where all you do is spend all your hours working on just one project. Brainstorming and coming up with ideas can sometimes be challenging and there are many obstacles but its the most gratifying feeling once you are done and you see your creation come to life and it just makes all the hard work, sleepless nights and dedication/motivation all worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In my work I am inspired by the world around me. My most recent works may seem cartoonish or just unrealistic but everything that I paint, draw, and design are inspired by actual people around me, my environment, and personal experiences. Miami’s underground scene and New York’s skate and hip-hop culture from the 80s and 90s are important scenes that I look at for inspiration. In my earlier pieces, I was experimenting with juxtaposition of happiness with gruesome subject matter. Looking at how society manipulates us to believe and accept beauty standards, I also tackled topics of loss, relationships, drag culture and homophobia in my art. One thing that is amazing about making art is that it helps people come together and I wouldn’t consider myself a professional. I’m honestly nowhere near professional nor will I ever consider myself that. I think my best advice for artist is to just create, because we tend to get in our heads about if our art is good enough or if people will like it or we just get too self-conscious but it shouldn’t matter art is about expression and if you did that then your art is perfect and should be shared. Life isn’t easy and just like life, art has layers and each one is as beautiful and challenging as the one before it. Just stay dedicated, motivated, practice and trust me it pays off.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
WYNWOOD!!! I love Wynwood, it’s literally graffiti and art heaven. I love going to small art events around Wynwood and I think just walking around that area you can see all the murals and sometimes there are artist working on their pieces and you can go talk to them so its a really fun experience and place to be at because thats where mostly everyone in the arts be at.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to a couple of people. To start I want to thank my photography teacher I had at DASH, Mr. Cabrera. He really taught me everything I know about photography and not only that but this man was one of the most kindest and caring person I have ever met and he helped me through so many of my problems, always had my back and supported me and my art even when I doubting myself. I want to thank my friends who have been there and encourage me to do what I love and held me up when I needed it the most. My sister for allowing me to use her as my model sometimes and do some crazy art experiments on her and no matter what she’s always been there for me through thick and thin.

Website: www.luannamontes.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/unappreciated.wrld

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/luanna-montes-375307168/

Other: my email is montesluanna@gmail.com

Image Credits
Tortz