An Interview with Cekis, the Artist Behind the LeafLink List 2023 Artwork
The cannabis industry is a living, breathing movement that’s rapidly transforming from an underground culture to a national powerhouse. Earlier this year LeafLink announced the LeafLink List 2023 winners which showcased the top brands and retailers on the platform that are fueling the growth of this wonderful industry. To honor these businesses in a way that reflects the unique spirit of cannabis, we collaborated with renowned street artist Cikes to create a custom artwork that visually represented what cannabis means to him. Cekis, if you’re not familiar, is a NYC based graffiti artist born in Santiago Chile. He began painting and creating graffiti on the streets in the early 1990s gaining notoriety for his vibrant murals. Cekis is considered to be one of the pioneers of the South American graffiti movement.
We had the opportunity to chat with Cekis and talk through his work, inspiration, and the LeafLink List 2023 project.
The Gift of Art: A Deeper Connection to Cannabis Culture
The colors, lines, and composition of Cekis’s piece emphasizes the plant’s natural beauty and the spectrum of experiences its consumers enjoy. This illustration pays homage to the plant’s distinct appearance and array of colors and hues.
The Intersection of Art and Cannabis – Meet Cekis
Are you part of the cannabis industry? Or active in the community?
I’m a consumer of marijuana and love all the good things it can do, so I guess in that sense, I am part of the community. I think that also participating in projects like this makes me active in cannabis and helps promote it.
What was the inspiration for the artwork?
I tried to represent the flower in a colorful stage, enhancing its density, intensity, and vibrancy by contrasting it with a starry night using and mixing the colors of LeafLink. Cannabis plants have such a wide range of colors and tones that come with the many different strains, and that also inspired this art.
What is your creative process like?
For this specific piece, everything started with handmade drawings, sketching up ideas on paper to then select the ones I felt were right. After that I scanned them and brought them to photoshop to define and clean them and then color them. I usually try different color options until I choose or find the one I feel fits best. After that I was ready to start the painting which was done on canvas. The prints are done with a high-end printer and ink, then numbered and signed for authenticity.
What is your main medium and why?
Acrylic and spray paint. I like water base paint, so Acrylic is the best option for me when I work on canvas. I usually use brushes and rollers. Besides that, I use a lot of spray paint when I do murals and for my studio work sometimes. Spray paint is mainly used for outdoor work and when you want to go faster, it is better to use spray paint over roller paint for that type of work.
What message do you want people to walk away with when they see your artwork?
Sometimes when I paint, I aim to offer a message, and sometimes I like just to be more abstract or non literal, it all depends on the moment and what I’m working on, but I guess I like to bring color to the world, that is why I started painting the streets. I like to share my visions and images with people, either they are recognizable or they are colorful compositions. I think that the action of sharing these images can be taken as a message itself as well.
What made you interested in taking this opportunity with LeafLink?
I’m always interested in new projects and to hear what these projects are about or what they are from the people behind it. And this one, made me feel honored because LeafLink trusted my vision and artwork by offering me the opportunity to create this piece. I have been using cannabis for almost 30 years and I am a big supporter of it, and now I got the opportunity to celebrate using my art. It’s great.
Engaging the Community Through Art
The LeafLink List 2023 wasn’t just about recognizing the industry’s top players. It was a celebration of a culture that’s growing and blooming, much like the plant it revolves around. By incorporating art into the mix, LeafLink and Cekis aimed to bridge the gap between cannabis culture, cannabis business, and the cannabis community. Be sure to follow Cekis on insta!