Joset Medina’s skill has been seen in South America, Europe, and the United States. Skill is his love. Born in Venezuela, Medina has lived in Panama, Spain, and presently San Francisco. He has a second career as an artist while working as an engineer in all the places he has lived. He has worked on both residential and commercial jobs. As an artist, he creates designs, paintings, and murals.
In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Medina stated, “I’ve been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. I used to draw and cartoon my home as a child, especially since I was raised around people who were my first subjects. I began talking about their sexual relationship through my art.
Medina recalls being a nervous child. High school wasn’t easy for him. When some of his classmates bullied him, he responded by creating humorous cartoons of them and exaggerating their flaunting features to manage and protect himself.
“Painting and drawing are like treatment for me,” he said. “I enjoy incorporating my own experiences into my skill. It’s like a way to grow and learn from life’s problems. I get a lot of inspiration from nature, my walks, and specifically the strong women in my life. Although, since tying the knot, and my relationship with my spouse, I’ve started incorporating more adult themes into my work.”
Bay Area flexibility
Medina worked for a global architecture firm with a base in Southern California while residing in Panama. San Francisco was always on his list of places to explore, and he frequently traveled for labor. When he eventually arrived here, he instantly fell in love with the area. After witnessing men kissing and holding hands on the street, he was enchanted by the sense of freedom that he had around. It was a welcome change from Panama and Venezuela, where LGBT people are also subject to a lot of discrimination.
He immediately fell in love with an interior custom while they were in San Francisco. They agreed to work together, though that had to be put on a temporary hold while he worked towards getting an O1 (extraordinary abilities) visa. He then went back to San Francisco after that was approved, and he has been staying there ever since.
He’s kept active. He painted a fresco in the courtyard of a gay couple in Oakland last year called “Sunset Caress” to help the neighborhood. On their history wall, they intended to have a painting as the principal featured art piece. Medina said that he couldn’t show the woman’s brands as they prefer to remain secret.
He claimed that the client conversations were generally what I wanted to say. “They expressed a desire for me to use elements from my past artworks into the style, such as the feminine subject, vivid colors, and the wavy, organic shapes of my line work, all tied to their landscape design.”
Medina spent about 16 times completing the painting.
He said, “I worked on weekends because my architecture work keeps me occupied during the weekdays, but I’d say it took me eight weekends overall.” “My husband Robert (Wiesner) was a huge help during this time. When he’s not working, he frequently assists me with painting my artworks. Additionally, my companion Alex also provided some assistance with painting for a few days. I typically ask helpers or hire people to help me with painting the large flat area and painting the painting so I can concentrate on the intricate range labor, which typically takes longer.
Designing perspective Medina’s latest task is a painting for a girl’s place in San Francisco, commissioned by the children’s families. For this job, he is collaborating with the family’s interior designer.
They were looking for a mural that they could stay for a while, not just for their young children’s, he said. “I do say they were looking for someone classic, lively, active, with natural shapes that relate to natural elements or a landscape.”
His approach to this project is unique and in line with the parents’ wishes.
Because the painting design has been coordinated with the elements the client’s interior designer group has now placed it, he said, “I’ve approached this venture with both an artist and an interior designer attitude.” “The millwork elements, line work, and colors are integrated with the mural. I can’t give more details until the project is complete.”
Since moving to San Francisco, Medina has established a strong bond with the LGBT community. However, as an architect and an artist, he maintains a vision that goes further than any one specific community.
“I believe that by stepping out of my comfort zones, working with different people, communities, and even businesses, I can continue to grow and learn.”
