Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Mancha.
Hi Eric, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey as an artist began like pretty much every artist out there. I had a natural talent when I was young, I nurtured that talent through school and pursued my goals as an adult. I feel like the only factor that makes or breaks anyone pursuing a creative career is persistence and dedication. It’s not always fun or creative, and a lot of times you gotta be your own biggest fan. But like that saying goes, there’s people with half your talent making their dreams come true because they put the work in. Staying in your lane, doing the work and maintaining the dedication to the vision. That’s the key right there.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There is no smooth road for anyone, regardless of where life has taken you. But when you have a larger than life vision, obstacles and struggles are part of the process. If it was easy, everyone would do it right? For me personally, I always had to work throughout school. Managing money and time to dedicate to my craft were crucial. Once things got going though, I had put in so much effort to get even a sliver of opportunity that when it came, I was so ready to work twice as hard as anyone else. Looking at the timeline of my careers progression, I would say that the obstacles I had to overcome have only made me stronger. My advice is to embrace the struggle cherish the journey you’ve decided to take cause when it’s all said in done, those moments will be the most defining ones.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I consider myself a multidisciplinary artist. My range varies from fine art/ oil painting to visual effects and design for film and tv. I’ve had some pretty special moments in my career. A personal highlight was working with Chadwick Boseman on the 42 movie. I was part of the visual design team that recreated the stadiums he played in. We did a lot of onset work. Was a cool project and was great to work with such an amazing talent. That movie was really inspiring to me.
Another great moment was my time spent in Oaxaca. I had a huge studio space in the hills just outside of downtown in a neighborhood called Xochimilco. I felt like I connected to something special out there and made some really beautiful paintings as well.
I think what sets my apart from other artists is my own vision. Everyone has it. Mine just happens to be, well mine. I feel like my in my paintings, I’m able to create my own world and tell stories that I can’t communicate verbally. People love art, so using that medium to narrate the stories that matter to me most are really important.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Representation. I think for far too long, my people and culture have been overlooked in many aspects, especially art and film. I can tell you on one hand the amount of times I’ve visited a museum and seen a painting that represented my community, people or culture. The idea of Chicano art being looked at as second class and not fine art is really wild to me. We’re as American as can be, yet our culture isn’t looked at as such. Being part of a movement to bring our voices into these spaces, to fill that gap in the history of art-making with our stories is what inspires me the most.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@manchastudio.com
- Website: www.manchastudio.com
- Instagram: @manchastudio
Image Credits
David Peralta
