El Arepaso Venezuelan Café
Tulsa, Oklahoma | August 2024
20' × 8' | Aerosol on drywall
El Arepaso!
Located near 81st and Yale in Tulsa, this project introduced me to more than just another wall to paint. It was also my first time really experiencing Venezuelan food, and especially arepas. The food was so good, and getting to experience some of that culture while creating the mural made the project even better.
When we started discussing the design, the owners already had several objects and elements in mind that they wanted represented. They gave me those ideas as a starting point, and from there I began developing a composition that would make the wall feel colorful, lively, and connected to the personality of the restaurant.
Before the mural, they had shown me a reference that recreated the appearance of spray paint artwork through a digitally printed image. The idea was there, but seeing it printed and pixelated made me think there was an opportunity to do something more authentic.
They needed the real deal.
Instead of an image made to look like a mural, we could create an actual mural by hand. Something with texture, imperfections, layers of aerosol, and a human touch. More importantly, we could create something specifically for El Arepaso and connect it more deeply to the culture and story behind the restaurant.
I worked on the mural primarily during their closed hours, which gave me the space to paint while the restaurant was quiet. Along the way, I got to try their food, learn a little more about what they were bringing to Tulsa, and watch the wall gradually come to life.
Projects like this are fun because you are not only decorating a business. You are helping create part of the environment people experience when they walk through the door.
I’m thankful to El Arepaso Venezuelan Café for trusting me with their wall, sharing some great food, and giving me an opportunity to bring a space to life through paint.
And if you have never had Venezuelan arepas, this was the place that introduced me to them.
