Click here to see Manuel Enriquez's Art (coming soon)

Nuvein Magazine editor Anh Lottman with artist Manuel Enriquez.

“Whatever makes me happy, that’s how I live.” Manuel Enriquez, 18, has lived quite a roller coaster life, producing a determined young man who is going places. He started his art career as a sophomore at South El Monte High School, under the direction of Len Mathes.

            Up to 11^th grade, Manuel perfected the basic skills. As a senior, he took his art in a more personal direction, “worked out of my own head.” Before he took his art seriously, Manuel dabbled in cartoons and graffiti. He especially liked graffiti art because he could make up his own letters.

            As an artist and budding musician, Manuel is drawn into a primal state. “Art has no rules. No rules in music either. You can do anything you want…go anywhere…” That freedom allows Manuel to live and create in amazement.

            The intensity portrayed in his self-portrait series reveals a young man trying to find his place in the world. “Through life, people let me down.” Therefore, he presents a fiercely proud, independent mien to people, especially those who don’t think he is worth much. That’s what pushes him to continue learning and struggling to be something.

            “I’m not a bad kid, but I did do bad things.” With little sense of family, Manuel called himself a hustler, growing up on the streets. His parents divorced when he was about 9 years old. His grandfather mainly took care of him, teaching him to be organized. They didn’t talk much, but Manuel learned to be a man through his grandfather’s example.

 Bereft at his grandfather’s death when Manuel was 11, he said he took a turn in his life. “I thought he was going to be there forever. If that can happen, anything can.” With no one for Manuel to depend upon, he moved around a lot. Sometimes, he was homeless. He has lived like a hellraiser: smoking, drinking, drugs and parties. He even got expelled from two schools.

Despite living a wild life, Manuel never forgot his grandfather’s lessons. He still worked towards his goals, completing high school while working. Regardless of the extremes of his life, Manuel believes things happen for a reason. “I’ve seen mad bullshit,” he said, “but I had mad juice with teachers.” After all, it was Len Mathes who nurtured Manuel’s dabblings into a serious love affair of art, giving him a calling into the future.

            Manuel currently studies Multimedia at Digital Business and Design College. He intends to continue freehand art and create graphic art in the computer world. A happy future for Manuel consists of two simple things: not worrying about his finances and finding that special someone to set his mind straight.