KNOXWALLS
AT EMORY PLACE
Scroll down to learn more about the participating artists.
OREL BRODT
Knoxville, TN
Orel Brodt is a young upcoming artist with in-depth experience in fashion, textiles, and color. In her work, Orel takes the threads and fabrics from her design world, translating them into strong brush strokes and weaves them together with bold, bright, exuberant colors that express the many layers truly consisting of the human spirit.
From Orel Brodt’s work with fashion houses such as Robert Graham, Oscar De La Renta, Viktor and Rolf, and Panos Yiappanis, to presentations in Amsterdam, London, Tel-Aviv, and New York City, she uses her art skills with movement and shapes.
As an artist, I strive to embody the enthusiasm, patience, and creativity that I display through my large scale mural work. I believe that it is extremely important to ensure that the youth in our communities strive to become whatever they set their minds to. I am interested and skilled in working on diverse projects in communities throughout the world. I strive to construct murals that have meaning and show emphasis on subject matter while captivating public viewers. I am confident that my contemporary works will revitalize and create a source of pride for the communities, in which they are displayed, ultimately strengthening their sense of connection.
As a muralist, I strive to create works of art that not only brighten up public spaces, but also tell stories and inspire viewers. My murals are more than just paintings on walls, they are a testament to the power of art to transform urban landscapes and bring people together. I believe that art should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status or background. This aspect of creating murals gives me motivation to take part in beautifying all types of environments. I aim to create designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also relevant and meaningful to the community or client. My creative process always begins with extensive research and development of the mural’s concept.
There is an ever-evolving challenge with each new wall, and this aspect invigorates my work. I’m constantly stimulated by the challenge of creating new ideas and messages through my murals. Whether it’s a vibrant collage of faces and shapes, or a poignant tribute to a popular figure or company, I always strive to make each piece reflective of the core concept. I am passionate about using my art to create a positive impact for viewers in hopes that they can connect with the art. Above all, I hope to inspire people to see the beauty and potential of their neighborhoods, businesses, and communities. In sum, I hope to encourage the embrace of creativity and imagination as vehicles for positive change within each viewer.
Thomas Evans, a.k.a. Detour, is an all-around creative specializing in large scale public art, interactive visuals, portraiture, immersive spaces, and creative directing. His focus is to create work where art and innovation meet. A born collaborator and “military brat,” Detour pulls from every conceivable experience that shapes his landscapes and perspectives. Explaining Detour’s work is no easy task, as ongoing experimentations in visual art, music, and interactive technologies have his practice continually expanding. With his ever-evolving approach to art, Detour’s focus is on expanding customary views of creativity and challenging fine-art paradigms by mixing traditional mediums with new approaches—all the while opening up the creative process from that of a singular artist, to one that thrives on multi-layered collaboration and viewer participation.
Curtis Glover has been painting professionally since the beginning of 2016. After working many jobs in the arts, he decided to take the risk as a full-time artist. Solely depending on his ability, Curtis has been able to make a career of painting murals across the state of Tennessee and beyond (as far as Costa Rica and Canada currently). He has been able to tackle all sorts of client requests for commercial, public and private art. He believes art plays an important role in enhancing his local community and other cities across the world. Glover stays busy year-round with his detailed work using acrylics and sprays cans. He believes that working with other arts organizations will help develop the proper skills and experience to leave a visual impact for years to come in the given location.
Naomi Haverland lives in Florida but enjoys spending her time traveling elsewhere to create images out of her imagination onto walls around the world. As a professional mural artist, Naomi's primary goal is to install in image into an environment that will take the viewer by surprise with delight. Her secondary goal is to tell a story that will leave a lasting impact on the viewer.
One of Naomi's favorite parts of the mural process is the preliminary research stage. She loves to become an expert on the subject matter she's painting, as well as entrench herself into the culture surrounding the mural site. This helps her know what imagery will stop them in their tracks and be meaningful to them.
Naomi's most prominent artist strength is in the realm of realistic portraiture and the capturing of dynamic human expressions. She takes great pride in her ability to faithfully render the likeness of specific individuals with intricate detailing. Lighting is a huge passion of hers and she is very particular about the way every subject within her painting is lit. The interplay of warm and cool lighting is what truly elevates a subject giving it depth and dimension.
Megan Lingerfelt grew up in Western North Carolina and studied drawing and painting at UNC Asheville. Graduating in 2010 with a BFA she spent the following years building her studio practice in Seattle, where she discovered a love for murals. She now lives in East Tennessee where she continues to exhibit and work in public art.
Drawn to the volume and intersecting lines of engineered forms as well as the sweeping curves of botanical elements, her work reflects her surroundings through a myriad of repetitive forms in collaged or imagined compositions on surfaces of all sizes. With a focus on light touched surfaces and pushing shadows into dark depths, her compositions place an emphasis on color and contrast. When creating for public spaces she works to imbue the character of each site into the design so that it may serve as a monument to its location.
Gared Luquet is a Knoxville-based artist and muralist. His large-scale acrylic paintings transcend the traditional portrayal of wildlife, mirroring the similarities in emotional expressions shared between human beings and animals in the modern world. Through this anthropomorphic lens, Luquet presents a playful nod to traditional portraiture, where surrealism interlaces with classic compositions, often with a subtle undertone of irony. Additionally, his paintings contrast the interplay of man-made elements, such as the use of classic neon signs as backgrounds, in place of the animal's natural biome. Gared is a graduate of Pepperdine University where he majored in studio art with an emphasis in painting.
Pat Perry (b. Michigan, 1991) is an American multi-disciplinary artist. His practice includes painting, drawing, photography, and installing large-scale outdoor murals around the world.
Throughout the 2010s, Pat became known for a series of sketchbooks and photos documenting his travels within the United States from freight trains and highways. Perry's murals and posters have called attention to various social causes through collaborations with groups such as the Beehive Design Collective, AptArts, No More Deaths, and the UN High Commissioner For Refugees. His studio work explores themes of social and emotional effects of 21st-century technologies, as well as knowledge limits of individual meaning-making. He has held solo exhibitions at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York and Los Angeles, Takashi Murakami's Hidari Zingaro Gallery in Tokyo, Dorothy Circus Gallery in Rome, and a museum show at UICA in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Pat lives and works in Detroit, where he is attempting to regrow a forest on the twelve vacant lots that surround his house.
Juan Manuel Rozas, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, self-taught artist, Miami-based since the mid 1990’s. Embarked on a lifelong journey of artistic exploration and development, His passion for the arts led him to study various artistic disciplines, refining his skills and nurturing his creative voice.
Rozas's most recent notable contributions include his collaboration, with Game Seven, a subsidiary of Meta, where his studio, “Rozas Studio”, had the opportunity to paint @ninachanel's art on the Wynwood tower at Oasis Wynwood. This meta contribution showcased Rozas's ability to translate any vision onto large-scale surfaces, creating a visually captivating mural that adorns the Wynwood neighborhood, a thriving hub for art and culture.
In addition to his work at Oasis Wynwood, Rozas, a skilled muralist, has collaborated on mural projects for Amli Midtown and Plantation. His collaborations allowed him to employ his artistic versatility, adapting his style to meet the specific requirements of each project. His murals can be seen in various prominent locations across Miami, showcasing his ability to transform public spaces into captivating works of art. He has participated in shows for HGTV and A&E. His collaboration with A&E took him to Mexico City, where he created a four-story mural for "The International Down Syndrome Day." This project not only showcased Rozas's artistic skill but also demonstrated his willingness to use art as a means to raise awareness. Rozas also, has collaborated on projects for esteemed businesses and organizations.
His artistic contributions include collaborations with the "W" Hotel, Meta, A&E, and HGTV, where he seamlessly integrated his unique style and artistic vision into various projects. Rozas's artistic touch has also graced successful local businesses, such as Bodega Taqueria & Tequila (Menin), KIKI on the River, El Santo, Gramercy (Roman Jones, Mark Lehmkuhl), Coyo Taco (305 concepts), 1800-Lucky,Oasis Wynwood, Wynwood Jungle, Ray ban wynwood, Brick , Burtons Grill & Bar Plantation and Boca Locations and many more. Through his collaborations, Rozas has enhanced the visual appeal and atmosphere of these establishments, infusing them with his distinctive artistic flair.
Furthermore, Rozas's collaboration with Urban Robot, a prominent design and architecture firm, Together, they have created visually stunning and innovative touches to spaces that serve as a testament to their shared creative visions. The B100M & shade at 100 Biscane are an example.
In his canvas works, Rozas explores various styles and themes, often transitioning between
abstract works and portraiture. He has been delving for while now, into a locally inspired theme
called "Pop Botanica." He focuses on capturing the vibrant flora that surrounds South Florida,
translating it onto canvas.Employing rough outlines and street art-inspired techniques, Rozas
constantly seeks to push the boundaries of his artistic expression, inviting viewers to reflect on their connection to nature and its significance in our lives.
David “Don Rimx” Sepulveda was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His family lived in the public housing development Nemesio R Canales, which in the early 90s had a very high crime rate. Drugs and gun violence were part of his everyday life. Don Rimx was kept on the straight and narrow through his parents' watchful eyes. They noticed his interest in drawing at a young age and nurtured it by enrolling him in weekend art classes at the local art school. He later received his diploma from the Central High School of Visual Arts and continued his education at the Escuela de Artes Plasticas. Upon finishing his studies, he dedicated himself to incorporating the various techniques of classic art into urban art, specializing in murals. Lorenzo Homar, Jose Alicea, Rafael Tufino, Antonio Martorell, Rembrandt, and Joaquin Sorolla are just a few of the influences one sees in the line work, color treatment, and poetic imagery of his pieces.
In 2009, Don Rimx moved to Brooklyn, NY. Life in the big city profoundly affected his body of work, from the different cultures and styles to the many textures and materials. The skeletal structures explore the synthesis of man and his city. Resulting in works of art comprised of rigidity and personality.
“16 Barras” Brooklyn was an exploration of this connection. Murals were painted throughout Brooklyn of randomly chosen residents, interlaced with one number and word, that when put in numerical order, created a poem. It was meant to inspire people to search for the puzzle pieces and get to know their borough and its residents. “16 Barras” received media coverage in the NY Daily News and various online publications. The concept was later extended to Puerto Rico and featured in the annual art event ‘La Campechada.’
Don’s style bridged the gap between the streets and corporate America. His work caught the eye of a progressive commercial real estate developer. He was commissioned to produce several grand-scale murals in the Bryant Park area of NYC and Oakland, California. The synthesis of the two resulted in breathtaking works of art. An arrangement so unique that it received media coverage in the NY Times in 2014.
That same summer, Don Rimx and his family moved to Florida. The warm climate and Latino culture attracted the artist, making him feel closer to home. Since the move, Don was selected as the guest artist at the Brooklyn Museum in 2014 for National Hispanic Heritage Month. In 2018 he created a beautiful mural for Starbucks on Miami Beach. He was also one of the featured artists for Converse by LatinX 2019, celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, where he designed a pair of Chuck’s that the purchaser could fully customize.
Don has participated in national and international urban beautification projects, including Los Muros Hablan, New York & Puerto Rico, Beck’s Urban Canvas Miami, Muraleo Puerto Rico, Fiesta de Colores Ecuador, and Color Caribe Puerto Rico. He has realized more than a dozen murals across the United States. And more recently, he painted the façade of the new Electronic Arts building in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village.
Don Rimx’s unparalleled artistry sets him apart from the rest. As a classically trained fine artist, graffitist, and grand-scale muralist, he’s guaranteed to continue doing what he loves for many years.
A mural’s job goes beyond just looking pretty. Public art is powerful when it comes to communities— it defines and celebrates human spaces, telling the residents that their home is important, and reminding us that we share our lives with our neighbors. I think it’s important to keep this in mind when creating— to consider the bigger picture of how art can make people feel.
My work most often features animals or objects, presented as icons in bright colors. I like to celebrate individual characters in my paintings, emphasizing their individuality or personality, and keep subjects relevant to the area in which they’re placed. My work is all about my personal stylistic approach, and is recognizable for this reason. I also feel that working with stakeholders such as building owners is important when making public-facing work, to ensure everyone feels that the work is appropriate and brings the right vibe for the space.
My personal process is to begin with a small acrylic painting. All of my murals begin this way: because the majority of my work is created in my studio, I feel that this keeps my larger works aligned with my portfolio, and I’m comfortable experimenting with shapes and colors in this way. Once I have a design figured out, I move on to color matching with paint. I am comfortable with both spray paint and house paint, so which is selected will depend mostly on the event and on the wall surface. For both murals and studio paintings, I tend to work fast— so I like having my plan of action fully realized before I get started.
I have produced several large-scale murals across the US, and also have produced a wide range of work for a variety of clients such as Uniqlo, Samsung, HP, Paramount, and more. I’m currently sponsored by art suppliers such as Liquitex, Holbein, and Trekell Art Supplies, and my painting videos have been featured by LADBible, Bored Panda, Create Magazine, Juxtapoz, and more in 2022 and 2023.
Rachel explores and imagines through paint, breathing life into the visual landscape that defines our daily experiences. As a muralist and cultural producer, she is deeply motivated by her love of beautifying spaces, illuminating living legends, and enhancing pride within neighborhoods. She has spent the last eight years devoted to mural painting and has witnessed first-hand the profound impact that murals can have on the public psyche.
Rachel trained amidst the greenery of Oregon, and growing up in a rural setting gave her a deep sense of connection to the planet and all living things. She enjoys weaving landscapes, animals, and natural phenomena into her paintings alongside bold and abstract shapes. Rachel has spent the past 12 years in Oakland, California and found herself inspired by influential muralists of the Mission district in San Francisco, and elders in the arts community throughout the East Bay.
Often Rachel's murals are not mere embellishments; they are tributes to the unsung heroes and local legends who walk amongst us, their stories as timeless as the ripple they leave in the world. She breathes life into their images, elevating them from the realm of the ordinary to the pantheon of urban mythology. She believes that being influential does not mean being a celebrity, and often we wait to honor people after they're gone. She always try to tie a thread between local history, living people, and creating art that expands the collective imagination. In a world inundated with advertising, murals and public art is a link to the eternal and truthful aspects of the human experience.
They become spaces to gather, landmarks in our memory, and tribute to our values. Beyond galleries and museums, Rachel has been privileged to share insights on art, culture, and social change with audiences far and wide. From Mills College to the SF MoMA, her work has inspired others to beautify, illuminate, and celebrate the communities we call home.