Using markers and ink paint, local artist Louie Cisnerossi of Woar 2 Art (called Woar) boasts a unique and engaging artistic style. A Las Cruces native, he is a creator captivated by New Mexican culture and inspired by trials and triumphs of daily life.
On November 17, NMCO Media will exhibit Woar 2’s work as part of Avenue L, a partnership of local businesses who showcase and further the reach of artists in Las Cruces and southern New Mexico. His upcoming show Tiger Style Dear Juice will exhibit his latest work that encompasses his abstract and colorful style.
NMCO recently spoke with Woar to meet the artist holding the ink. Meet Woar 2!
Where are you originally from?
I am from Las Cruces, raised in Dona Ana.
How long have you lived in Las Cruces?
I have lived here all my life. Been to a lot of places in the U.S. and Las Cruces is a dope spot to lay your head at. Real chill town.
What style of art do you create?
Definitely abstract art. I didn’t really have a name for it but my friend called it Tiger Style recently, and it stuck. I really don’t have anything in mind when I create, I just let the ink take over.
What first interested you in this style? How long have you been creating?
Krink markers. I first started messing with that type of style when I did some live painting in downtown Las Cruces. I had never used a marker like this and was blown away at how awesome the ink just flowed out of it and sold my very first piece with this type of style that day too! I’ve been creating strange goodness since the 5th grade. Once I picked up a copy of Subway Art everything changed from there.
What inspires your work? How are you inspired specifically by New Mexico?
Life. Life is a trip. I take all the feelings that happen on my daily and project it onto the canvas.
The Desert. It’s people. The wildlife. The seasons. It all inspires me. I like to take bike rides around the city and ride to places where I would normally never go and explore. Discovering new sights, sounds and smells brings out the creative juices.
What does your creative process look like?
Spray paint everywhere. Ink, coffee, wood panels, and beats. Painters tape here and there. Self-doubt. Basically, like Bob Ross exploded in my apartment. Without the happy little bushes.
How long does it typically take for you to complete a piece?
I can usually knock out a piece in four hours. That’s if I’m not interrupted and I focus on it. It also depends on how intricate the detail is. I’ve been experimenting with symmetry lately and that takes awhile. If I’m live painting I can knock out a nice sized piece in two hours. I like a live painting. It keeps you on your toes.
What are some of your favorite pieces you’ve created?
Most recent has to be a Quasimoto piece. Quasimoto is a character created by hip-hop producer, Madlib. He appears in random places. I threw him in one of my paintings because I could just see him taking a stroll through one of my pieces. He’s a cool man-bear-pig type of dude. Also, any illustration I gave to random girls in high school. I should’ve kept those.
What are you most looking forward to at your upcoming show, Tiger Style Deer Juice?
Bringing creative minds together. Exchange ideas, inspire and hopefully bring out some of the creatives of Las Cruces that never leave home. I love meeting new artists. Seeing what they do is awesome and makes me want to keep doing what I do.
The name of your show is rather intriguing. What does it mean and what inspired the title?
Some friends and I recently took a trip to Albuquerque to do some live painting up at Tractor Brewing and during a conversation, my friend said my art has a tiger style to it, which just stood out. The linear technique has a tiger feel to it. I added the Deer Juice because a fellow painter we met up at Tractor invited us to her home for breakfast before we headed back to Cruces. She cooked a deer shoulder from Alaska and the guys I was with got seconds of the soup. I asked them if they liked the ‘deer juice’. They all laughed. Fun times.
What can local New Mexicans learn from supporting artists in and around their community?
They will learn how we see New Mexico through our eyes. How life in the desert is displayed in our art. Cultura. Culture. They will learn how our frustrations mutate into something beautiful. They take a piece of our imagination home with them when they support local artists.
Where can locals find your work if they’re interested?
Right now I sell my art online mainly through social media. I have art hanging and for sale at The Barricade Culture Shop.
Anything else you want to add about your work and local artistry?
Find Woar 2’s work on his social media channels.
Woar 2’s AveL showcase will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 17 at NMCO’s creative studio located at 2001 E Lohman Ave., Suite 114. To view more of his work, follow him on Facebook and Instagram @woar2ski.
