"Untitled“ by Smithe

"Trust in yourself. you’ll have good moments and tough ones but you have to ride them out.”

Smithe (aka Luis Enrique) is a Mexican street artist, designer and illustrator, best known for his sci-fi and psychedelia themed works.

On the streets of Mexico City, Smithe creates some of the most impressive murals. However, he does not only leave traces in his hometown. He was invited to display his talent at the Miami Scope Art Show and in 2013, he went to New York City, where he painted the biggest mural of his career. His latest works, presented on Instagram, are painted on canvas. They have a sci-fi and surrealistic touch, dominated by strong colors and stylistic drawings of psychedelia and pop art.

Smithe has always been interested in graphic design, sketching and drawing. He describes himself as a draftsman of all styles, though his interest initially started in sculpture. At the age of 14, he painted his first mural along with his role models Moebius, Heavy Metal magazine and Virgil Finlay. In 2008 he founded his own clothing brand delfino.

In an interview with designboom about his work in Mexico, he said, "there are many talented artists in Mexico City. I think the illustrations and street art scene have grown very fast and many brands are now looking for Mexican artists to work with. That's why a lot of the work is very commercial, people who actually have more potential follow the route and I do not like it. We have to be careful not to sell out too fast. Mexican artists must continue to try and stay authentic with their work. We designers and artists need to work together and develop a culture that values all of our work”.