Louis Carreon’s body of work is tattooed with a menagerie of wild experiences.

From 90s Angeleno surf-skate culture to teenage cross-country street art tours, from the shackles of drug addiction to an equally caging incarceration, the artist has no shortage of counter-cultural exposure.

Upon his release, the jailbird turned songbird. His expressions include painting, sculpture, photography, and poetry. Many of his works are available as fine art prints below.

By way of his influences, Carreon’s artwork also draws from the gritty streets of 80s NYC, brightened by Basquiat and Haring. Then there’s the stark chiaroscuro of sunbeams flooding a 16th-century Milanese cathedral, inhabited by Caravaggio’s ghost.

Or the austere shine of golden Eastern Orthodox religious iconography, coupled with the playful geometry of spirograph toys popular in the nineties.

Louis Carreon brings a wide swath of art history to bear on contemporary life. The results include works like David Reincarnated, which decks out Michangelo’s superstar with Nikes and a skateboard.

Louis Carreon painted a private jet for Landmark Aviation in 2015 during Art Basel Miami. The artwork, titled “International Symbols of Travel,” showcased his unique style of street art applied to luxury spaces.

Carreon’s design on the jet featured bold, monochromatic symbols reminiscent of Keith Haring that represent global travel, blending his graffiti background with the elegance of the aviation world. The project marked a significant milestone in his career, demonstrating his ability to work in high-end, global settings while retaining his street-inspired style.

Louis Carreon is known for merging graffiti with fine art, creating bold, expressive works that tackle social and personal themes. His ability to blend street culture with gallery art has made him a standout artist.

Carreon’s work is heavily influenced by his life experiences, including his struggles with addiction and time spent in prison. His art often explores themes of freedom, spirituality, and redemption, reflecting his journey from the streets to major art exhibitions. His vibrant style, influenced by pop culture and urban life, connects deeply with a wide range of viewers.

Louis Carreon’s transition from graffiti to fine art was a natural progression as he sought to expand his creative expression. He started with street art and evolved into the gallery space, bringing his raw, urban style with him.

Carreon began by tagging public spaces in Los Angeles, then started showcasing his work in galleries. His background in graffiti helped him develop a unique voice in the art world, using his personal story of transformation and struggles as powerful content in his art. Over time, his work gained recognition from both street art enthusiasts and fine art collectors.

For Art Basel Miami in 2015, Carreon painted a private jet, marking a groundbreaking project that combined his street art style with luxury. The mural featured his “International Symbols of Travel” and was displayed as part of the prestigious art fair.

The jet was commissioned by Landmark Aviation and displayed at Miami International Airport. It was a bold move that connected Carreon’s street art with the high-end world of private aviation, solidifying his ability to transcend traditional art spaces and bring his unique style to a global audience. This project was a perfect example of how Carreon bridges the gap between street culture and the elite art world.

Time spent in prison deeply impacted Carreon’s art, providing him with the space and clarity to reflect on his life. During his incarceration, he turned to drawing, which played a pivotal role in his personal and artistic transformation.

While in prison, Carreon studied art techniques and began sketching daily. This period allowed him to focus on his craft and reflect on his past, including his struggles with addiction. His art became a tool for healing, and his experiences have shaped the themes of redemption and spirituality that are evident in much of his later work.

The Drip Factory is Louis Carreon’s studio in Los Angeles, where he creates his signature art, combining urban influences with fine art techniques. It serves as a creative hub for his bold, expressive works.

At The Drip Factory, Carreon produces paintings, sculptures, and murals that reflect his personal journey, using various mediums including spray paint, acrylics, and oils. The space allows him to experiment and push boundaries, creating pieces that often convey deep social and spiritual messages, while maintaining his street art roots.

Louis Carreon’s work is heavily influenced by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Stanley Mouse. These artists helped shape his approach to combining street art with contemporary fine art.

Carreon admires Basquiat for his raw, unrefined style, which allowed him to express his emotions and societal observations. Keith Haring’s bold use of color and graphic simplicity also inspired Carreon, while Stanley Mouse’s iconic Grateful Dead posters sparked his interest in using pop culture as artistic influence. These artists helped Carreon embrace the freedom to create without boundaries, something that’s evident in his own work.

Jean-Michel Basquiat revolutionized modern art by blending street culture with fine art. His raw, expressive style opened the door for artists like Louis Carreon to use unrefined, spontaneous methods in their work.

Basquiat’s influence on Carreon is profound. He admired how Basquiat used graffiti and text in his paintings to create bold, social commentary. Carreon sees Basquiat’s work as a blueprint for breaking away from traditional art forms and using personal experiences to fuel creativity. For Carreon, Basquiat’s success as a street-educated artist proved that artists could achieve mainstream recognition without adhering to the norms of academic art.

Graffiti artists like Louis Carreon transition into gallery spaces by evolving their raw, street-style art into pieces that are both refined and thought-provoking, appealing to a broader audience.

For Carreon, the shift from street art to gallery exhibitions wasn’t just about changing mediums; it was about expanding his message. He brought the energy, freedom, and social commentary of graffiti into the gallery world, while refining his techniques to make his art more accessible to collectors and curators. This transition often requires an artist to find a balance between their street roots and the expectations of the fine art world.

“No Unsolicited Submissions” is a phrase used by Louis Carreon to describe the barriers that artists face when trying to gain access to traditional art institutions. For him, it reflects the often exclusionary nature of the art world.

Carreon’s “No Unsolicited Submissions” is a call to break down the barriers between artists and the art world. He has used social media to bypass traditional gatekeepers and directly connect with audiences, collectors, and fellow artists. This phrase reflects his desire to change the system and create art that is more accessible and democratic.

Spirituality plays a significant role in Louis Carreon’s art, guiding his creative process and helping him find inner peace. His work often reflects themes of transformation, healing, and personal growth.

Carreon believes that true artistic expression can only emerge when an artist connects with their higher self and surrenders to the creative process. For him, art is a spiritual practice that allows him to communicate his journey from addiction and prison to recovery and artistic success. His artwork conveys a deep sense of freedom, and it’s this connection to spirit that infuses his pieces with emotional depth and authenticity.

Graffiti has always been a reflection of urban life and has naturally evolved into an essential part of pop culture. Artists like Louis Carreon use graffiti to explore modern themes and make powerful statements.

Carreon’s work draws heavily from pop culture, using it as a medium to express social commentary. Graffiti itself has become an influential force in the art world, with its origins in street culture influencing advertising, music, and fashion. Carreon’s ability to merge graffiti with pop culture allows him to create art that is both accessible and socially relevant, resonating with a broad audience and reflecting current cultural dynamics.

Some of Louis Carreon’s most notable works include his murals on buildings around the world, the iconic jet painting for Art Basel, and his “FACES” series. These works highlight his blend of street art with fine art.

His jet painting for Art Basel Miami is a particularly significant piece, marking a major crossover between street art and luxury. The “FACES” series, which features abstract portraits and emotional depth, is another standout. Carreon’s murals, which can be found on landmark buildings in major cities, further showcase his ability to scale his urban art style for large public spaces while maintaining its raw and impactful nature.

The “International Symbols of Travel” series is a body of work created by Louis Carreon for his commission to paint a private jet for Art Basel Miami. The series features a series of symbols representing global travel.

Carreon painted the exterior of a private jet in black and white with symbols such as airplanes, luggage, and globe-like shapes, all in his distinct street art style. The mural aimed to celebrate the connectedness of global travel, while also reflecting Carreon’s own journey of transformation and the universal desire for freedom. The piece was displayed during Art Basel Miami, a fitting venue for this merging of luxury and urban art.

Artists like Louis Carreon integrate social commentary into their works by addressing pressing societal issues through symbolism, abstraction, and bold imagery. Carreon uses his art to reflect on modern-day struggles, politics, and personal experience.

Carreon’s work often speaks to themes such as freedom, spirituality, addiction, and the consequences of societal pressures. For example, his mural “Church + State” delves into the power dynamics between religion and technology, examining how modern society has shifted its reverence from traditional faith to digital platforms like Google. This ability to blend personal reflection with social critique is a hallmark of Carreon’s work.

Louis Carreon’s work is collected by several high-profile celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Aaron Paul, and Colin Farrell. These collectors appreciate Carreon’s bold and expressive art style.

Carreon has gained recognition in both the art world and celebrity circles for his unique ability to merge street art with fine art. His art appeals to those who appreciate its raw energy, social commentary, and connection to pop culture. By working with celebrities, Carreon has been able to bring his art into mainstream culture, which has helped elevate his status as a contemporary artist.

Graffiti played a foundational role in shaping Louis Carreon’s artistic journey, as it was his first form of creative expression. He was introduced to graffiti at a young age and became addicted to the act of tagging public spaces.

Carreon’s involvement in graffiti was more than just a rebellious act—it was a way for him to communicate and assert his identity in a world that felt disconnected. As he honed his craft, graffiti became a channel for his creative energy, which later translated into the more sophisticated art forms he explores today. Graffiti provided Carreon with a sense of freedom, and its influence is still evident in his current work, which combines the grit of street art with the sophistication of contemporary art.

Artists like Louis Carreon often use their past struggles to inspire and inform their work, turning personal hardships into powerful creative expressions. Carreon’s experiences with addiction, incarceration, and personal transformation are central to his art.

For Carreon, his struggles have become a source of strength and fuel for his creative output. His time in prison, for example, gave him the time and space to reflect on his life, and these reflections often appear in his work. Themes of redemption, recovery, and overcoming personal demons are common in his pieces, which resonate with viewers who may have faced similar challenges.

Urban art, which includes graffiti, street art, and other forms of public art, is characterized by its bold colors, social commentary, and connection to the urban environment. Louis Carreon’s work exemplifies these characteristics.

Carreon’s urban art often features striking visual elements that reflect both personal and societal issues. His use of spray paint and large-scale murals connects his work to the streets, where art is made to be seen by the public. The rawness and immediacy of urban art make it a powerful tool for artists like Carreon to communicate messages that challenge the status quo and spark conversation.

Louis Carreon, along with other notable graffiti artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, successfully transitioned from street art to mainstream art. These artists used their street-based practices to challenge the boundaries of traditional art.

Basquiat and Haring are considered pioneers in this movement, bringing the raw energy and bold visuals of graffiti into the art world’s elite spaces. Carreon, influenced by these artists, followed a similar path by refining his street art while maintaining its rebellious spirit. His success in mainstream galleries and high-profile commissions, like the jet painting, showcases the growing acceptance and appreciation of graffiti as fine art.

Keith Haring is a pivotal figure in street and contemporary art, known for his use of vibrant colors and simple, bold imagery that conveyed powerful messages. Haring’s influence on artists like Louis Carreon is profound.

Haring’s art was rooted in street culture, and his iconic use of symbols and figures to communicate social and political messages paved the way for many contemporary artists, including Carreon. Haring’s ability to merge graffiti with fine art inspired Carreon to push the boundaries of his own work, using graffiti as a tool for social commentary and to speak to broader audiences. Haring’s work showed that art could be both accessible and impactful, an idea that Carreon continues to embrace in his own creations.

Art and activism often go hand in hand, as seen in the works of Louis Carreon, who uses his art to address social issues such as addiction, freedom, and personal transformation.

For Carreon, art is not just an aesthetic pursuit but a means of engaging with the world and encouraging change. His murals, paintings, and other works often serve as a form of protest or commentary on modern societal issues. Art allows Carreon to challenge norms and speak truth to power, whether it’s addressing political figures, societal systems, or personal struggles. Through his work, Carreon uses his platform to advocate for personal freedom, spiritual growth, and social awareness, making art a potent tool for activism.

Louis Carreon redefines fine art by breaking down the barriers between street culture and traditional gallery art, fusing elements of graffiti, pop culture, and social commentary into a cohesive, accessible art form.

Carreon’s work challenges the notion that fine art must adhere to rigid academic standards or be confined to classical methods. By incorporating the spontaneity and raw energy of graffiti into gallery spaces, he brings an alternative perspective to contemporary art. His pieces, while visually bold, also carry deep emotional and societal themes that make them both thought-provoking and culturally significant. In doing so, Carreon helps redefine what fine art can be, making it more inclusive and reflective of diverse cultural expressions.

The Hamilton Selway Gallery is significant in the art world for representing contemporary artists like Louis Carreon, who push the boundaries of traditional art and explore new forms of expression.

Based in West Hollywood, Hamilton Selway Gallery has become a leading space for cutting-edge art that reflects current cultural and social trends. The gallery’s support of artists like Carreon, who blend street art with fine art, has helped elevate contemporary art’s visibility and credibility in the mainstream. The gallery not only serves as a venue for exhibitions but also plays a crucial role in showcasing artists who are redefining the art world.

Louis Carreon’s “FACES” series represents a deep exploration of human emotion and relationships, often capturing the complexities of personal experience through abstract portraits.

The series features bold, expressive renditions of faces that are meant to evoke a wide range of emotions, from love and vulnerability to anger and despair. Carreon’s use of raw brushstrokes and mixed media in these portraits reflects the layered nature of human identity and personal growth. Each face in the series can be interpreted as a reflection of Carreon’s own journey of transformation, making the works both personal and universally relatable.

Some iconic examples of graffiti-turned-fine-art pieces include works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Louis Carreon. Carreon’s private jet painting for Art Basel Miami is a standout example of graffiti being elevated to the status of fine art.

Carreon’s jet mural was a groundbreaking project that took the bold, expressive elements of graffiti and applied them to a luxury space, demonstrating the versatility and power of street art. Similarly, Basquiat and Haring brought the raw, untamed energy of graffiti into galleries, creating works that were both aesthetically innovative and socially relevant. These artists helped reshape the perception of graffiti, making it an accepted and celebrated form of fine art.

Artists like Louis Carreon collaborate with luxury brands and events by using their distinct artistic style to elevate the brand’s image while also gaining exposure to elite audiences.

For Carreon, collaborations with high-end brands and events, such as painting a private jet for Art Basel, allow him to bring his street-inspired art into exclusive, upscale spaces. These collaborations are mutually beneficial: Carreon gains recognition in luxury markets, while the brands are associated with cutting-edge, culturally relevant art. Through these partnerships, Carreon continues to bridge the gap between street art and luxury, demonstrating the broad appeal of his work.

Pop culture has a significant influence on contemporary art, and artists like Louis Carreon incorporate elements of it into their work to engage with modern societal themes.

Carreon draws heavily from pop culture in his art, using iconic symbols, imagery, and themes that reflect current trends and societal issues. By incorporating references to music, fashion, and media, Carreon’s art speaks directly to contemporary audiences. Pop culture allows Carreon to create art that is both accessible and relevant, connecting with viewers on a personal and cultural level.

Social media has revolutionized the way artists like Louis Carreon promote their work by providing a platform for direct engagement with audiences and collectors around the world.

Before the rise of social media, artists relied on galleries and agents to gain exposure. Today, artists like Carreon can showcase their work on platforms like Instagram, reaching global audiences instantly. Social media allows Carreon to build a personal connection with his followers, share behind-the-scenes glimpses of his creative process, and engage with potential buyers directly, making art more accessible than ever before.

Art plays a crucial role in documenting societal changes by reflecting the mood, struggles, and triumphs of a particular time, as seen in the works of Louis Carreon.

Carreon uses his art to capture moments of personal and societal transformation, addressing issues like freedom, spirituality, and social justice. His paintings often act as a mirror to society, offering commentary on the issues that shape our world. Art has the power to document history in a way that is visually engaging and emotionally resonant, making it a vital tool for reflecting on the past and influencing future change.