Meet Ramon Mas | Artist

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

Hi Ramon, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
Art provides me the opportunity to share the voice, feelings, thoughts, and movements that I find difficult to put into words. By using a visual medium, I feel that I can celebrate these thoughts and bring them life in a new way for the world to enjoy. This desire to share my inner self, my inner voice, my inner thoughts and stories is by far the most important driving force for my desire to explore this world we call Art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My name is Ramon Mas, but I go by RUEM (ROO, EM). I am a Multi Media artist that focuses on use of a color palette that is derived from my Native South Floridian Art Deco period and the Caribbean. I like to fuse the urban environments, tropical motifs, music, and color to portray my artistic vision. Its common to find the use of spray paint (which is a way of me paying homage to my younger street going days), acrylics, oils, and gold leaf in my art pieces. I also create a lot of digital portraiture, which you can see and purchase art prints on my site: www.thisisruem.com or on Instagram @thisisruem

It wasn’t and isn’t easy to get into the art world. Although Social Media outlets like Instagram has helped share my visual story with the world. Yet, I do find it much more difficult with the changes in the algorithm interactions and expectations of these platforms for those artists that are just starting out to take full advantage of said platforms. It seems like now, opportunities for organic growth are skewed and making it more difficult for artists to become known organically.

With that said, we must never waiver or falter. This is part of the journey and part of the challenge. What we can use as a driving force as creatives to continue to push ourselves and share our beauty with the world.

This helps drive my brand. I feel that I have so much to share with the world. My design aesthetic, my visual passion, vision and voice all stems from my subconscious and the cultures that I surround myself with everyday: Hiphop, Music, Street, Mythology, and more. This can be found in my art pieces, my messaging, even my clothing designs (like the custom Nike Air Force RUEM Edition sneakers that I released last year.)

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
While they’re visiting, I’d want them to experience Art, Life, & Culture in the only way that can be experienced in South Florida. We have a multitude of museums and galleries in town, so I’d probably start off with the Perez Museum and then hop over to the Museum of Graffiti. Continue through the streets of Wynwood to view all the beautiful art that adorn our streets. We would definitely spend some time at the historic Versailles for some cafecito with the patriots, but won’t forget to hit up any of the local spots like Coyo Taco and Cafe La Trova to finish a night out on the town. Theres so much to do and enjoy in this town, visit Miami Beach, play blackjack at the Hard Rock, and awe in splendor when you walk the grounds of Vizcaya and the Deering Estate.

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?
They say that it takes a village…there several people that I feel deserve the respect and upmost gratitude in helping me go through this artistic journey. A mentor and catalyst, if you will, is a well known artist by the name of David “LEBO” Lebatard. Through a chance meeting at an Art event, Dave challenged me to follow my passion and dream of creating art. Thanks to his tutelage, his long night talks and constant support, I created successful pieces for an art show held in 2019 for Art Basel/Art Miami. An event he curated at The Confidante Hotel in Miami Beach, FL. Another key figure in my corner has been my confidant, my muse, my wife, Marilin Mas. With her constant support and different perspectives, she brings me back from the brink of oblivion brought on by a difficult piece.

And alongside them, there is a myriad of supporters and fans that I wish I had the mental capacity to thank each and every one of them. Stemming from my family, close friends, and acquaintances, I shout them out. It is because of them that I do what I do. And I won’t tire or let them down.

Website: https://www.thisisruem.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisruem

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisruem

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjgC1PQXXGUpD2JIi5BeSQ