A life made of ART

His mother had a hard time raising her children on her own. As is often seen, poverty provided fertile ground for her husband's alcohol abuse and aggressive behavior. In the end, he left her when she was pregnant with Pablo. Leaving her with eight children to care for: five boys and three girls. One of her babies died as a newborn. The older girls helped raise the younger children. They washed cloth diapers and helped with other chores. Or they worked as full-time housekeepers for well-off families, to earn meager salaries. The older boys worked various jobs in town to bring in some money.

When Pablo was a little boy, Chile was ruled by an authoritarian dictatorship headed by general Pinochet. All political dissent was violently suppressed in those days. Thousands of people were tortured and killed between 1973 and 1990. The military often patrolled the streets as Pablo walked to school. He dressed in second-hand clothes or jumpers knitted by his mom. Often without a decent pair of shoes.

He was fortunate to be accepted into a school meals program. This allowed him to have one hot meal daily, even during holidays. Food was much scarcer at home. His mother had to be creative with the few ingredients they could afford. She often peeled legumes and boiled them on the wood stove for hours. This was usually mixed with pieces of potato and pumpkin. The wood stove served as a kitchen and as a source of heat during the cold winter days. They had no running water, electricity, or gas. Pablo often had to go into the hill forest to gather firewood. Cutting down trees and bringing home the chopped wood was an arduous, but also enjoyable, task. When Pablo was lucky, his mother would let him melt a spoonful of sugar over the fire. The resulting caramel was a real treat!

At school, he stood out in art class. At a very young age, he discovered his passion and talent for drawing. There was no money to buy materials, but a simple pencil would do. At night he drew next to a candle flame. He could spend hours drawing movie posters, like Terminator or Back to the Future. Fantasizing, he escaped his challenging environment, in which he often witnessed violence. Both on the streets and at home. Alcohol and drugs were at hand at every corner. Easily he could have fallen into the temptations of immodest behavior.

Although the youngest, he always felt a huge responsibility towards his family. Especially his mother. He had just reached adulthood when he decided to build a decent house for her to replace their wooden shack. A house with a solid foundation and ceramic tiles, instead of a dirt floor. With proper glass windows instead of plastic covering a hole in the wall. Well-insulated to protect them from the elements. No more cold winds cutting through cracks in the walls. No more leaking roofing forcing them to sleep under a plastic sheet. And with separate rooms to gain some privacy. Including an actual bathroom instead of a pit latrine in a shed in the garden.

Peso by peso, he saved up money to make this dream come true. He worked at a local restaurant or gathered discarded charcoal to sell in town. He even supervised machinery in the dark underground coal mines. For this, he had to descend 600 meters in an elevator cage, and then walk for half an hour to the machine site. He was armed with a mining lamp connected to a heavy battery around his waist, and a methanometer to measure the dangerous methane gas. Alone, he endured long and dreadful shifts in the pitch dark. To make money, he did whatever it took.

In his spare time, he built the house of his dreams. Bit by bit, he mixed cement, hammered tonnes of nails, and hired handymen to help him when necessary. Now imagine building a house on a hill: every material needs to be carried up there. No cars, no machinery. Only muscle power and perseverance.

It took him several years of hard work to build a two-story house. Afterward, his heart filled with joy every time he saw his mother looking out of her very own bedroom window. The humble house he grew up in had no rooms and only three single beds for a family of nine. The mattresses were bags filled with old pieces of clothes. Now his mother had her very own room and her very own bed. And they finally had electricity and running water too. Finishing their first, proper bathroom was the icing on the cake. He even bought his family’s first refrigerator in his early twenties!

During this period in his young life, Pablo was first introduced to spray paint art. A street artist passed through town. Using just a few cans of paint, he created colorful images, live in front of an impressed audience. 'I can do that too,' Pablo thought to himself. His spirit has always been positive. Full of hopes and dreams, he tells himself that anything is possible. Excited, he bought his first cans of spray paint and practiced in the backyard. There was no internet, no YouTube instructional videos, no one to ask for advice - it was trial and error.

Very soon he mastered the basics of this unique art form and decided to try his luck on the streets. He spread cardboard on the floor, attached a piece of paper to a board, and took out his cans. On his knees, he created mesmerizing images of planets and stars. All within minutes and without paintbrushes. His paintings sold immediately, so he decided to dedicate himself full-time to painting. No more exploitation for meager salaries, long days, and multiple jobs. He was now his own boss, organizing his own working hours.

Fortunately, Pablo has always been a responsible man. He earned a decent living, not only thanks to his talent, but also due to his organizational skills and his courage. Soon he traveled within his own country in search of new places to sell. And not much later he decided to travel all around South America. He offered his artworks in major cities such as Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. As well as in many small towns in countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

During his travels he met other street artists, local artisans and seasoned hippies. Sometimes they offered him a place to stay. Other times an enthusiastic client would host him for a few days. But most of the time he would rent rooms in cheap, local and often dirty guest houses. Places that often have prostitutes, drug addicts, hippies and other marginalized people. He made many friends, but remained focused and responsible. He always made sure to save money and behave, despite all temptations.

In his late twenties, he saved up enough money to buy a plane ticket to Paris. One of the world's major centers of culture and art. When autumn arrived in central Chile, Pablo embarked on his first overseas journey. He arrived in sunny Paris with only 20 euros cash in his pockets. He sat on a bench in the underground subway, pondering what to do next. He didn’t speak French or English, didn’t know anybody, and had no idea where to go. It was only day one of a 90-day adventure. What in the world was he going to do?

As he started to feel anxious, he overheard two girls speaking Spanish. They gave him directions, and soon he was riding the subway to the most famous squares in Paris. With his 20 euros, he bought a few spray cans and started working. The first night, he spent half-asleep, sitting on the stairs of the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It didn’t bother him. He was in Paris!

He hasn’t stopped traveling since. Paris, Nice, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam. He now visits the biggest cities in Europe every year. He escapes South American winter while he enjoys European summer. And when it’s summer in South America, he keeps on discovering that continent too.

During his travels, he always called his mom from phone booths and sent her money for groceries and bills. And he never forgot to bring back souvenirs when he returned home.

After a few years, his hard work and courage enabled him to buy his first car. It was second-hand but big enough to take his mom, nieces, and nephews on short trips. Can you imagine how proud she must have been? Her youngest son traveled abroad and made sure she lacked for nothing.

In February 2010, disaster struck. One of the largest earthquakes on earth, followed by a tsunami, hit Chile. Hundreds of people were killed. The epicenter was not far from Lota. The two-story house Pablo had built with so much dedication was severely damaged and needed to be demolished. It didn’t even bother him that much, because only six months before, he had buried the love of his life. His mother had died at the young age of 68. Her life had not been easy, and her health had been fragile. Pablo's life changed drastically.

During this period of profound mourning, he met the Dutch girl who would later become his wife. Their love helped uplift his spirits again. After months of aimless wandering, spending hours in dark hostel rooms staring at the ceiling, questioning everything and everyone, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

She was still in university, but immediately knew she wanted to embark on a journey with this inspiring man. After graduating, she took a leap of faith. She immersed herself in the world of street artists and traveling artisans. Since then, they have formed an inseparable duo.

Together, they travel around the world, introducing people of all backgrounds to the mesmerizing art of spray paint. They live a simple and frugal life, valuing their work as much as their free time. They aim to inspire people with their art, as well as their minimalistic lifestyle. On their travels, they stay in simple guest houses, rent rooms, or stay with friends or family. Just like Pablo had been doing on his own for so many years.

In 2020, they got the opportunity to buy a little piece of land in Chile. Together, they are building a wooden cabin there. They do almost everything themselves. To build this home base for their continuing travels, they use their imagination, creativity and logical reasoning. Although they are an organized couple, they try not to plan too far ahead. Life is happening now.