Estevan Oriol’s Thug Beauties & Beasts

A special treat for all of you this week: Last Friday, we participated in the Lower Hater Art Walk, met some very cool people, and saw some great art. On Saturday, Melissa shared with you the first artist we saw, Kristine Reano. The second artist who grabbed our attention was Estevan Oriol. (Please imagine the photo below at 5 feet long by 3 feet high).

Yeah, I know.

While we didn’t have 5G’s to drop down on it, we were able to walk away with a deck of playing cards, 52 images, for a mere 15 bucks. These cards feed the inner cholo in me—without the risk of gunshot wound. Now, I can dream of a thug life, while playing Go Fish. Here’s some of our favorites. . .enjoy.


Estevan Oriol is a Mexican-American photographer based (guess where) in Los Angeles, California. His work has been featured in dozens of magazines worldwide including Mass Appeal, The Source, Details, Vibe, and Rolling Stone. He is affiliated with Soul Assassins, and has directed music videos for groups including Eminem, Cypress Hill, D12, Linkin Park, Blink 182, Paul Wall, P.O.D., and Xzibit. Click here to see more of his work.

Please stay tuned this week as we are saving the best for last! One artist was spray painting his piece outside a gallery wall during the walk. His work is incredible. . .