JIMMY PAINTZ
Jimmy Paintz, a.k.a. Jimmy Pierce, might be the most benevolent artist you will ever meet and if you live in Los Angeles, you’ve probably passed his work on the street unknowingly and smiled. His mixed heritage of Filipino, Caucasian and African American descent has an impact on his art, which embodies universal ideas that transcend cultural borders. His paintings can be found in notable collections and public spaces around the world. Jimmy has a heart of gold and his maxim, “plant global seeds of happiness," aptly describes the way he lives his life.
A few years ago, Jimmy boarded a flight to Asia with his mother, excited to paste up some of his new Smiley paintings on his travels. Jimmy and his mother fell asleep together sharing a blanket on that flight, but only Jimmy woke up. At the saddest point in his life, he was left with the responsibility to make arrangements in a foreign country while mourning, alone and devastated. He sat in his hotel room, drawing and painting smile after smile, posting them in the streets of Hong Kong at night to distract himself from this enormous loss. The only thing that could help him through this dark time was his art. Jimmy’s mother spread her happiness to everyone she met and Jimmy knew she would want him to do the same. He committed himself to his art and saw that the happiness he gave to the world came back to him tenfold. If you can create beauty from tragedy, like Jimmy, you are a true artist.
His art is a reminder to smile — no matter what.
