Ramiro — See Me Because

You know, growing up on the southside with not much money…single mother, one parent home….I had to grow up quickly, life wasn't too easy. I live on 25th and National, it's like the hotspot for drug dealers. I always see people shooting up in the backyard. Someone even overdosed in my alley…my mom was freaking out. Sometimes I feel like I'm very insensitive to the bad things around me. And it’s not that I don't see it as a bad thing, it just has nothing to do with me. My mindset is that I feel like any other kid probably would have crumbled, made excuses, fell behind in classrooms, fell into the wrong crowd, but I kept my head straight.

Who inspires me? Probably my dad, even though I didn't know him. My last name is a name that my father built. I hear the stories, I like the things he did, there's even a song about him; it just makes me feel proud. He took care of the family when he needed to. I'm grateful that he brought my mom to the States. That's something that I'm always grateful for because I probably wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him. I wouldn’t be sitting in this chair talking about art if it wasn't for him. Like I said, the bloodline in the name I carry means a lot to me. I also want to contribute to that as well, hand it off to my son. I want to build a name for myself.

I want to do welding, so I applied to the technical college for welding fundamentals. It's something I know I'm good at, and I know it's something that can bring money in at a young age so I will be able to support my mom and my clothing brand. I know blue collar jobs aren't easy. But I'm a hard worker and I have dreams of being in the field. You know, like being dirty welding pipes in the mud all day. But I also have dreams of maybe coming out of the factory, being in my own executive office and designing the nicest clothes, making connections in different industries. I also now do welded art. For me personally, it's taking scraps that were supposed to be thrown away and making something beautiful out of it.

I don't really like linking my artwork with trauma or bad experiences. I kind of just like to sit down and work, think of what I like - the colors and shapes. I don't link my work with the past. It's not hard, it's like work is art. If you really put your mind to it and work, it's not hard at all. In the future, I only want to be doing work with what I want to be. I want to be able to put my mom into a better situation. I want one day to come to my mom and just say, “You don't have to work anymore”.

I think I will achieve my dream - I will get somewhere with this clothing brand. Maybe it will be far away, but I still want to make something out of it. It's definitely unorthodox - welding trade to a fashion designer but I think that's what makes me stand out. I don't see any other clothing brand that looks like mine. I'm also very proud of my work. It looks amazing, very unique. I just can't wait to put ideas into real products. I want to be able to hold my work in my hands.

Milwaukee, 2023