CM
interview by Jorge Perezchica
Artist Michelle Ruby — aka Mr Bbaby, was born and raised in San Diego, California. After earning a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts, Mr. Bbaby pursued art as a full-time career. Taking cues from her Latin heritage, children’s books and street art, Mr. Bbaby’s vibrant imagery captures the viewers attention to stop and look with a sense of childlike wonder. I first discovered one of Mr Babby’s murals at Flat Black Art Supplies in Palm Desert. As I walked around the back of the building, I gazed over a giant beast named “Chucho” with his piñata friend standing against a bright yellow wall. The playful image evoked a psychedelic version of “Where the Wild Things Are.” Since then, I have been a fan of Mr Bbaby’s artwork, and it’s been fun watching her artistic journey unfold through social media — you never know what adventures her main character “Chucho” will show up next. Read on for the Coachella Magazine interview.
Coachella Magazine: Tell us about yourself and your background as an artist.
Mr Bbaby: My name is Michelle Ruby—aka Mr Bbaby. I’m a Latina artist from San Diego. I was always fascinated with children’s books, and I think that’s how my love for art began. I used to get lost in the pictures, so I decided to start painting and writing my own little stories as a kid. I eventually took some classes in high school and then moved to San Francisco to pursue my art which ended up taking me to Los Angeles, where I currently reside. I was originally painting canvases with acrylic but I had an urge to go bigger and delve into the world of murals. At first, I began painting murals with a brush, but I knew there was a faster method. I bought a few cans of spray paint and began practicing on wood panels in my backyard. I spent hours and hours working until I finally felt I had it right. I went out and got gigs here and there and never stopped until it became a full-time job.
CM: How did you come up with the artist name Mr bBaby?
My initials are MR and I liked that it kinda had people confused about my gender. Bbaby just had a nice ring to it, so I went with it. Honestly, it wasn’t really ever meant to be a thing, but people started to call me Mr Bbaby, so I just rolled with it.
CM: I first discovered your mural on a wall at Flat Black Art Supplies. How did that come about and can you tell us about the imagery?
Pete, the owner of Flat Black reached out to me about doing a mural for him if I was ever in the area. I randomly took a trip out to Palm Desert and figured I would make it a spraycation. He was open to giving me the creative freedom so I decided to paint ‘Chucho’ which is my main little character that I tend to paint a lot and his piñata friend. I’m inspired by my latin culture, so Chucho was originally a piñata inspired animal but I started featuring a more traditional piñata with him to make it more clear for those who were confused as to what he was. I choose to paint piñatas because of the symbolism and their origin- originally made, filled with seeds to grow crops in the garden. I like the idea that they are meant to be broken but once they are broken, they bring growth which resonates with my own story.
CM: How would you describe your artwork and personal style?
I like to use vibrant colors in my pieces, I use a lot of Mexican masks and art, Otomi quilts, and people as a huge inspiration. One day I decided to start painting what I would love to see hung up in my own house. My art has a humorous side to it as well. I guess I’d describe it as a surreal, colorful, humorous, Latin style—a Mr Bbaby style.
CM:. What does Chicana artist mean to you?
My dad is from Mexico and my mom is of Latin descent, born and raised in Puerto Rico. My family suffered a lot to make it happen for me and bring me to the United States, to give me a better life — so my roots are everything to me. I feel like that’s the underlying reason to my ambition and work ethic, so I like to rep those who came before me.
CM: There is a fun and childlike sense of wonder in your artwork — filled with wild imaginary characters expressed in a bright color pallet. What inspires your imagination?
I think my biggest source of inspiration is Mexican culture/art, children’s books — I still get lost reading them to my daughter. I feel like a lot of my past experiences inspire me as well. My color palette used to be a lot darker but life became brighter for me and so did my art.
CM: What are some other things about your childhood that influenced your artwork the most?
My mom, she was a great mom. She used to buy me coloring books, children’s books, and she always encouraged creativity. My mom was also an artist but she worked so hard she never had time to paint, but I grew up surrounded by her old paintings and they gave me a sense of wonder that I never lost. When she had time, she painted our rooms, painted faces in the trees in our backyard. She really made my childhood magical and I think that’s a huge reason as to why I chose the profession I did.
CM: You paint both on canvas and murals in public spaces. Can you tell us about your creative process.
I love painted canvases and murals, both are two completely different processes. I feel like a canvas is a much more intimate experience, you’re alone, the elements always work in your favor and you get to be as close to the painting as possible, rearranging it as you need. A wall is different, the elements are unpredictable, there are often spectators, opinions from others, and you always create them knowing that they won’t last forever. I love both of the processes equally. In a way, murals are more liberating and free, less tight. You paint them to get the job done, you get to use your entire body when creating. I generally just start with a sketch, fill in, and then move onto the details and refinement stage. I believe art in public spaces is important because unlike a canvas where someone needs to willingly walk into a gallery to see it, a mural is there for everyone to see. It brings art to a community. I use bright colors, because subconsciously it affects those who see it in a positive light. I tend to use uplifting and catchy colors, my content is usually light and the feedback I’ve received is that my art genuinely makes people happy when looking at it.
CM: Can you tell us about one of your favorite projects you’re working on or completed?
It’s hard to pick a favorite. I think all the projects I’ve had, even the unfavorable ones have had their amazing moments where I feel like I really learned something. If I walk away from a piece with a bit of knowledge I didn’t have before then I consider it successful. I think Art Basel Miami 2017 was a memorable one for me because it was one of the larger pieces I had worked on and I felt so accomplished to get it done in time. It was chaotic with all the events going on but it made me feel like I hit a new level that made me a ‘professional’ artist, so I walked away smiling and feeling I was ready to take on anything.
CM: What are some things that you find exciting about being an artist today?
The world is your oyster, that goes for everything. I was always questioning as to how I could possibly make a living off art, but it’s a mind state. There’s plenty of money to be made, you just have to be willing to go find it. We now have the tools such as social media and the internet where we have the contact information for anyone we could possibly think of at our fingertips. People are becoming more open to stranger ideas and are starting to respect more than just fine art as art. We are so fortunate to be artists today because there are so many tools to make it possible for us, but of course it starts with the right state of mind, hard work, and the belief that you can and will make it happen.
WEB: mrbbabyart.com
INSTAGRAM: @mrbbaby