Rodrigo Carapia is a self-taught artist who originates from Mexico City, Mexico. Carapia has lived and worked in Madison for 15 years. He first began with street art, which allowed him to experiment with his art on bigger scales. When he moved to Wisconsin in 2008, he started to perfect his craft on canvas and paper. Once his brush touches the canvas, the work he portrays becomes an epitome of his rich Mexa culture. As an artist and activist, Carapia uses his work as a form of self-expression and resistance by offering art workshops in schools, juvenile shelters and juvenile correctional centers, giving the youth a form of expression and a sense of freedom. His work has been donated to grassroots organizations that help the undocumented community as well as workers’ unions. His public art can be spotted around the state in murals, restaurants and shows.
Carapia’s work has also been recognized by several publications and news channels including The Capital Times, Madison 365, Isthmus, Telemundo Wisconsin, La Comunidad News and the Wisconsin State Journal. In 2021, Tone Madison highlighted Carapia in the documentary short Jaguar. (Source: Rachel Werner, The Little Book Project WI)