We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucas Ksenhuk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucas, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
‘My art tells a story, there is no art without a story.’This is my favorite quote.
Since I started drawing at the age of 9, creating my own artistic identity, I understood that art communicates what we express through it.
Art speaks, touches, tells a story and activates emotions. I have been telling stories through art since the beginning of my journey. And through my art I have been able to communicate, inspire, tell my story and encourage people to don’t give up on their dreams. Each of us has a story, and I make a point of not wasting mine! Everything has a purpose!

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.
I am a Brazilian artist, but resident in the United States, people say that I possess an unmistakable talent that has gone beyond my sketchbooks and conquered the main street exhibitions throughout São Paulo – Brasil, including Egg Parade, Cow Parade and Elephant, Football and Ear Parade, Vitruvian Parade and Art of Love. My art is intense and my goal is to transmit life and joy, showing my art to the world. Art can have a very profound and unique influence on anyone’s life. I was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, and I discovered my passion for drawing at 9, developing my technique of vibrant colored stripes that bring life and movement. At the tender age of 11, I created my first exhibition, where all 30 works were swiftly sold out.In 2020, I published my book – ‘A Real Story in Colorful Lines’, recounting my journey with prefaces written by Eduardo Kobra and Cris Campana. The following year, I held my debut international exhibition at The Holy Art gallery in London, and the opening of my individual exhibition – ‘Nature in Colorful Lines’, a collection inspired by scenes found in nature.
In 2022 I participated in the ‘Artists for Peace’ exhibition at Circolo Italiano in SP and in the collective exhibition ‘Artists for Peace’ at Espacio Gallery in London. I was also honored with an invitation to the meeting of the International Academy of Brazilian Literature at the Brazilian Consulate in New York, where I received the TOP 5 certificate in children’s literature. Additionally, I showcased my works in the collective exhibition ‘Sagrado Eye Contact’ at Sagrado Cafe in Miami, curated by Grazi Gadia.
In 2023, I held the highly successful ‘Live Nature’ exhibition in Belo Horizonte, receiving significant media attention and public acclaim. Subsequently, I was invited to exhibit at Rapha Preto Gallery in SP and to join ‘The Lab’ program at The House of Arts in Miami, a program dedicated to nurturing talented and emerging artists in the art market. Other exhibitions include showcases in Helsinki – Finland, and Miami – USA.
Residing in the United States since last year, I keep working on my career, this year I exhibited at Galeria SOBO in Winter Garden (FL), City Arts in Orlando (FL), in Miami, and at ArtExpo New York. I have big projects for the coming months!
I am also an art teacher, speaker and a great sports fan. One of my greatest joys is running! Running helps me process challenges, it brings me great reflections and inspirations, I am an ambassador for the Sport for Autism project!

If there’s one thing I won’t give up and that I’m very grateful to have, it’s my own artistic identity. When I was still a child, my sister Sofia showed me some research related to art and I started thinking a lot about it. I was enjoying everything! Each artist had their own style. So I started thinking: What would that be my style? My drawings were free, different, but similar. Without knowing how to explain I started to develop my own style. The drawings had contours, stripes, colored strokes. I wanted to do something different, so I draw an outline, then another color, that way I would create something and I developed my drawing and art technique. That came from inside me and jumped onto the paper. I had confidence in what I was starting to create. I liked what I created and I wasn’t ashamed when I showed it to someone. 
It’s not easy being an artist, but art brings you many surprises! When you find a way, you need to go with courage, traveling the roads where he takes you! Painting for distraction can be simple, but putting something on a screen that is inside you is challenging! Living like an artist requires ongoing discipline and commitment. I want to bring to reality a world of colors, inspirations, a beauty that sometimes only I see, but when it is transmitted it attracts the eyes of those who see beauty in the arts and from those with an open heart. I always try to show that life is intense and has movement. Some movements can scare us and take us to distant places. Other movements bring us comfort. Colors also convey feelings. A relationship of movements with colors shows all emotions and a unique moment in the life of each human being that is seen and felt in a different way for each one.
I started painting at school, when I wasn’t understood, or when I didn’t understand anything the teacher said, or when they bullied me, I painted. And from this pain, thanks to God, my family and everyone who supported me, I got here.I am a Brazilian artist, but resident in the United States, people say that I possess an unmistakable talent that has gone beyond my sketchbooks and conquered the main street exhibitions throughout São Paulo – Brasil, including Egg Parade, Cow Parade and Elephant, Football and Ear Parade, Vitruvian Parade and Art of Love. My art is intense and my goal is to transmit life and joy, showing my art to the world. Art can have a very profound and unique influence on anyone’s life. I was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, and I discovered my passion for drawing at 9, developing my technique of vibrant colored stripes that bring life and movement. At the tender age of 11, I created my first exhibition, where all 30 works were swiftly sold out.In 2020, I published my book – ‘A Real Story in Colorful Lines’, recounting my journey with prefaces written by Eduardo Kobra and Cris Campana. The following year, I held my debut international exhibition at The Holy Art gallery in London, and the opening of my individual exhibition – ‘Nature in Colorful Lines’, a collection inspired by scenes found in nature.
In 2022 I participated in the ‘Artists for Peace’ exhibition at Circolo Italiano in SP and in the collective exhibition ‘Artists for Peace’ at Espacio Gallery in London. I was also honored with an invitation to the meeting of the International Academy of Brazilian Literature at the Brazilian Consulate in New York, where I received the TOP 5 certificate in children’s literature. Additionally, I showcased my works in the collective exhibition ‘Sagrado Eye Contact’ at Sagrado Cafe in Miami, curated by Grazi Gadia.
In 2023, I held the highly successful ‘Live Nature’ exhibition in Belo Horizonte, receiving significant media attention and public acclaim. Subsequently, I was invited to exhibit at Rapha Preto Gallery in SP and to join ‘The Lab’ program at The House of Arts in Miami, a program dedicated to nurturing talented and emerging artists in the art market. Other exhibitions include showcases in Helsinki – Finland, and Miami – USA.
Residing in the United States since last year, I keep working on my career, this year I exhibited at Galeria SOBO in Winter Garden (FL), City Arts in Orlando (FL), in Miami, and at ArtExpo New York. I have big projects for the coming months!
I am also an art teacher, speaker and a great sports fan. One of my greatest joys is running! Running helps me process challenges, it brings me great reflections and inspirations, I am an ambassador for the Sport for Autism project!

If there’s one thing I won’t give up and that I’m very grateful to have, it’s my own artistic identity. When I was still a child, my sister Sofia showed me some research related to art and I started thinking a lot about it. I was enjoying everything! Each artist had their own style. So I started thinking: What would that be my style? My drawings were free, different, but similar. Without knowing how to explain I started to develop my own style. The drawings had contours, stripes, colored strokes. I wanted to do something different, so I draw an outline, then another color, that way I would create something and I developed my drawing and art technique. That came from inside me and jumped onto the paper. I had confidence in what I was starting to create. I liked what I created and I wasn’t ashamed when I showed it to someone. 
It’s not easy being an artist, but art brings you many surprises! When you find a way, you need to go with courage, traveling the roads where he takes you! Painting for distraction can be simple, but putting something on a screen that is inside you is challenging! Living like an artist requires ongoing discipline and commitment. I want to bring to reality a world of colors, inspirations, a beauty that sometimes only I see, but when it is transmitted it attracts the eyes of those who see beauty in the arts and from those with an open heart. I always try to show that life is intense and has movement. Some movements can scare us and take us to distant places. Other movements bring us comfort. Colors also convey feelings. A relationship of movements with colors shows all emotions and a unique moment in the life of each human being that is seen and felt in a different way for each one.
I started painting at school, when I wasn’t understood, or when I didn’t understand anything the teacher said, or when they bullied me, I painted. And from this pain, thanks to God, my family and everyone who supported me, I got here.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to visit my favorite museums here in the USA, the ones with incredible art, like The Phillips Collection, The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the MET, Moma and Guggenheim in NY, Perez Art Museum in Miami, and Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, here in the United States the culture is very rich and we have many museums, but these are the main ones I would take you to. I would also take them to visit my church, and also to watch football games at the stadium! And of course, we would go to a Brazilian Steak!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have many people to whom I am immensely grateful: To my parents who are always looking for ways to help me, to support me so I can do my best . They believe in my ability even more than I! They also believe in my dreams, they know that I am “coloring the world”, as I always dreamed of!  They help me to dream with the contours and colorful lines that I create. I know they love me so much! And so do I!
I have my brothers who turn my day into a real school day! Being with them is a mix of so many good things! They always encourage me, and we are better when we are together! My partners for life!
My friend Nathan is also someone that I am so grateful for! He helped me overcome a lot of things! He is a true friend who I can trust. His family is like my family, I feel the friendship and love they have for me. 
My whole family, grandparents, uncles and cousins who are thrilled with each drawing, at each event, they enjoy all my art, they cry with emotion and they encourage me so much! I am also so grateful for all the professionals who accompanied me in childhood or adolescence, since my autism diagnosis. I’ve been through every situation that makes me laugh a lot and cry too!
But my greatest gratitude is to God, He has already written a plan for me and now I just have to do my part. God was in each of the chapters of my story, and the secret of all this is happening, it is because He has helped me.
I also want, with this recognition, to encourage all families who have autistic children not to give up believing that better days will come, that you have the strength to believe and continue working towards it!

Instagram: @lucasksenhuk.art

Facebook: Lucas Ksenhuk

Other: https://linktr.ee/lucasksenhuk.art

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.