Meet the Artist/Conoce a los Artistas

Raleigh-based visual artist Alexa Eliana Chumpitaz started from small-scale illustrations and expanded to large-scale murals more recently. 

Alexa's work is heavily influenced by her Latinx heritage. Her murals demonstrate her strong infatuation with vivid colors, patterns and animals inspired by memories of trips to Latin America.

Viewers can enjoy her artwork throughout her home state of North Carolina and see how she mixes realistic landscapes and animals with illustrative design and exaggerative color, usually surrounding a portrait.

She chooses to depict people of color — sometimes even herself — to demonstrate that she is proud of her background and inspires others to be proud too. Her goal with her art is to engage, educate, and empower all types of people, in different walks of life.

1. What was your favorite scene to draw? 

   I enjoyed drawing all of them because of the diverse geographical features that we are lucky to have in our home state. But I think my favorite was the dismal swamp page that highlighted the flora and fauna found in the swamp. I really enjoy drawing animals and I am very proud of both of my frogs. They are so small! So I made sure to make them big enough on the page so the reader could see all their neat features.

2. What was your inspiration for the characters? 

   I was lucky to have had the opportunity to paint a mural in the library of an elementary school so I had time to spend with several children's books! I also researched (by watching) animated movies that featured dogs, bugs and fairies to study how the animators addressed movement, emotions, and physical features.

3. What is your favorite thing to draw? 

   Animals! And plants. Anything colorful: toucans and frogs for example.

4. What is your favorite color? 

   My favorite color is black. Because in terms of painting, when you mix all of the colors together, you make black. So, I like to think of black as the party color where all colors are present. 

5. What advice do you have for future illustrators? 

   Keep drawing! Draw your stories! I drew through several notebooks growing up, even if they didn't have words. Make up characters so they can go on adventures. I created series that I would draw for several months. If you can find a friend who likes to draw too, then share your drawings with each other. Creating art is such an amazing experience so just keep doing it!

Kyun born in South Korea, earned a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from North Carolina State University. Throughout his 15-years with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), he has provided creative expertise for the North Carolina Museum of History, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the DNCR’s marketing team.

1. What was your favorite part about working with Plott’s tales and Trails: Aventuras con Carolina?

   This book is for young readers in NC. Knowing that I was creating something for them served as a positive motivation throughout the project.

2. What is the first thing you do when starting a project?

   The first thing I do is sit down with my team members to clearly identify and understand their needs, ensuring we are fully aligned on the project goals from the very beginning.

3. What is your favorite food?

   Sushi

4. What do you love most about North Carolina?

   I love the scenery that North Carolina has, from the mountains to the sea.

5. What advice do you have for future graphic designers?

   Creativity is the most important asset you have, and it stems from everything in the world around you. Travel, experience new things, and read books; these are the things that will truly cultivate and expand your creativity