The Cultivate Curatorial Board is excited to share the work of Sechor.
Sechor shares his work and process in our interview below.
Learn more about the Cultivate Featured artist series below.
Learn more about Sechor on his:
Briefly describe your work or share your artist statement
A single letter can explain a lot about me and my work. I was born in Ukraine but have been flourishing in the beautiful city of Chicago. I am a graffiti-based artist who focuses mainly on lettering but I also like experimenting with many different subjects of work. I express my work in many different mediums: mural painting, sculpture, painting on miniatures, playing around with cement, canvas work, tags, stickers, and a lot of studio work. That is truly what still drives me to produce work and keep his momentum going. I have created many large paintings and have also done a lot of commission work for individuals. As of now, I am a full-time artist and a college student.
How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have it planned or is it more spontaneous?
This is a great question, and I hate to think about it, but at times I spend more time planning out my work than actually making it. For example, when starting my pieces, I always want to figure out every detail about it before I get started, whether it is color, scale, medium, etc.
What is a barrier that you, as an artist, overcame?
Often artists run into art blocks when an artist needs help to produce new work. It can happen quite often. When I run into artist blocks, I spend some time outside, whether it is a bike ride or just a walk. Sitting in the studio all day and trying to create new work can sometimes be a pain in the ass for finding motivation, so looking at other artists’ work always helps me. I would say that just keeping moving is a great strategy, you are not always going to produce your best work, but it’s important to maintain consistency.
What is your go-to music when you're working on art?
When it comes to music, I like to switch between what I listen to someday, it can be rap, someday it can be house music, and others. But my go-to music will always be rap and a group called “Wu-Tang Clan,” to be more specific.
What do you strive for as an artist? What form of recognition is important for you?
It is always crucial to have clear goals as an artist. When starting my art journey, I never thought I would be where I am today as an artist. My goal now is to be recognized more in the gallery world and eventually have a solo show.
What advice would you share for artists? Share something that you have learned along the way.
My number one piece of advice is don’t be afraid to meet new people. You never know who you might be talking to, whether it’s a random person on the street or a store owner who needs a mural. Introducing yourself is a big key to finding clients for commission work. Rejection is your best friend, and don’t be afraid of it. For mural work, a lot of the time, you will have to change up your style to fit the criteria of the person that’s commissioning you; it’s not always a pleasant experience, but it doesn’t hurt.
What is a work of art that is an inspiration to you?
I don’t have a particular piece of work that inspires me at the moment. Still, I draw inspiration from many artists, whether in the graffiti world, sculpture-based artists or, at times, even renaissance. Even though sometimes it is so far away from my work style, I can always find something, in particular, to draw inspiration from.
Who are three working artists that you love and would recommend?
My three favorite artists right now are Lefty out There, Felipe Pantone, and Revok.
Cultivate Artists
A curated collection of emerging and mid-career artists. The featured artist program at Cultivate serves to share the artist's work and process with the community, inviting them to understand how and why an artist creates the work they do, to market and promote artists, and to connect artists to each other and to our network of curators, artists, and gallery owners.
These artists are curated together and represent the work that we exhibit at Cultivate. The artists are selected in January and June, and scheduled out for the six-month period. If you are interested in being one of Cultivate featured artists, please visit our open call for submissions.