Meet Chad Graves

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Graves.

Hi Chad, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think that I’ve always been an artist. I don’t remember a time in my life when creating something with my hands wasn’t my first inclination when I was bored or antsy. I’ve eagerly pursued creative outlets throughout school and ended up receiving a degree in the arts. Though my professional career has been heavy in code, creating art and design has always been at the forefront of my heart.

My art has come in many forms over the years. Painting, sculpture, design, fabric, murals, woodworking, installations, and performance; are all these I have explored in some way. These days I’ve been focused on the merge of paint and words. Using abstract techniques to match the color to prose in order to stimulate the mind and create something visually appealing but also triggers thoughts on concepts through wordplay.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think something that all artists struggle with, myself included is how to sell themselves. There is a distinct set of skills that are required to produce work and the process is often the flow that artists appreciate the most. The creation of art is itself a form of art and the patterns and techniques you use and refine throughout the process are usually the most exciting part of the experience. When you have to transition from that to photos, marketing, outreach, and selling your work, that takes time away from the creative process and oftentimes feels alien or foreign.

So for me, knowing when to start pushing the work out into the world, how to make that happen, and still feel good about it is when I start wondering if I should just find something new to work on. Because I want to always stay in the flow of making something rather than selling it. So in that sense, I can get in my own way and prevent myself from achieving the larger goals that I have for myself and my art.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create my work under the moniker of PressInk. The name stems from the process that I first used to create one-of-a-kind t-shirts and garments. I used spray bottles and open containers to apply ink to blank shirts and created abstract and pop culture-inspired designs. The finishing of these goods required them to go through a pressing process to fix the pigment to the shirts.

Though the t-shirts and garments might be my most prolific project to this date, having sold them through Etsy, shops in the Triangle, and participating in a fashion show put on by Redress Raleigh, it’s not what I consider my most important work. I enjoy engaging with people with my art, and I’ve worked to create numerous installations and events to push art into the lives of others. I created a giant lite-brite for light-focused events which were showcased in Chapel Hill. I produced a 40-foot coloring book mural wall with other graphic artists that were colored in during a concert in Austin, TX. Most recently, I hosted a graffiti party at my home/studio where I invited people to decorate the side of my large barn with art.

I think the variety of projects and my desire to get others in the mix sets me apart.

What do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy… now that is a loaded question. I think happiness is often portrayed as a goal, but it’s really more of a state of mind or event. Considering this, I think that creating with others is what makes me the happiest, the most often. Being with friends or strangers, working together, playing in the sandbox so to speak, lights up everyone. Being around that creative force and helping others find their inner child, even if just for a little bit, really makes me the happiest.

As to the why, I think that it’s because I enjoy camaraderie. The joining of minds and bodies in a sense, and when it’s involved in the creation of something new, whether it be food, art, work, or even just travel, it brings me a joy that I find hard to obtain elsewhere.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pressink/