Photo by Leo Carmona

Carlos Martinez is an artist based in Seattle, Washington. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1995 and raised in Redmond, Washington. 

Carlos' work is deeply influenced by surreal imagery, drawing inspiration from dreams, the natural world, and his Afro-Indigenous heritage rooted in Oaxaca and Guerrero, Mexico. He is fascinated by and often obsessed with the profound and lasting emotional impact of dreams, evoking feelings of wonder and curiosity. In his paintings, Carlos often explores subjects from nature that include celestial bodies, botanicals, and exotic birds, as well as everyday objects, creating a blend of the dreamlike, fantastical, the tangible and the familiar.

Notably, Carlos' work has been showcased in the Tacoma Art Museum's group exhibition, ‘El Noroeste’, celebrating Chicano/Latine artists in Washington State. His art was also featured on the cover of PublicDisplay.Art's 2023 fall/winter issue. Additionally, his painting, ‘Saturn's Bouquet’, was recently bought by the Seattle Convention Center for their permanent collection and is currently on display in the new Summit Building. In August 2023, Carlos had his first solo exhibition, ‘Hidden Worlds’ at Centro Cultural Mexicano.