KORTEZ:
THE ESOTERIC URBANISM OF KORTEZ–
SPREADING HIS GIFTS OF ART AND MUSIC
BY AMANDA FRONTANY
JANUARY 1, 2021
Happy New Year!
Wishing you all a safer, healthier and more joyous 2021. Please enjoy my latest conversation with the amazing, multi-talented Visual Artist, DJ and Entrepreneur KORTEZ.
Kortez and I got together near the end of February 2020, just as Covid-19 was building dangerously critical momentum here in the New York City/New Jersey area.
At the time of our sit-down at his beautiful space, House of BAV [Born Again Vintage] in East Orange, NJ, we had no idea what the following ten months– the remainder of 2020– would bring. In fact, 2020 was a year unlike any other– filled with challenges on every level, and profoundly affecting us all with continuous “after-shocks.”
Across the globe, all our lives have been turned upside-down in a myriad of ways; however, we have collectively managed to adapt as best as we can and accept the blessing and breath of each new day. I remain optimistic that we will heal from these uncertain times, and I remind myself that throughout the darkness of 2020, there were many beautifully bright moments and acts of love, grace, courage, fellowship, and hope.
The production and publishing for this particular interview took longer than usual– due to obstacles along the way. Yet it has been a labor of love, as are all my interviews and features. I appreciate Kortez for his patience; and I am constantly in awe of the beautiful art, designs and fashion he continues to create and share with the world.
Throughout our conversation, Kortez so articulately and candidly describes his artistic style– Esoteric Urbanism, his creative processes, his amazing art pieces, and the powerful connection that exists between his art and his passion for music and DJing. We spoke openly for over an hour about everything; and what I share with you highlights the most important messages that Kortez shared with me.
Please check out Kortez on all his social media platforms to spend more time viewing his large collection of artistic brilliance and learn how and where to support his art:
Kortez on Facebook
Esoteric Urbanism on Facebook
House of BAV on Facebook
Esoteric Urbanism on Instagram
House of BAV on Instagram
Please share this latest Question & Artists Interview if you believe in the healing power of Art.
The iconic Toni Morrison said it best:
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge — even wisdom. Like art.”