Malvados is the creative universe born from the mind of Jesse Rivas, an artist whose work blends pop culture, surrealism, and his roots. The name translates from Spanish for evil, wicked, or villains. This word pays homage to both his Guatemalan heritage and his lifelong fascination with pop culture's iconic antagonists. As a kid growing up in Inglewood, Rivas had a bit of a wild streak with ditching school, staying out too late, doing all kinds of things he probably shouldn’t have. His father would scold him by shouting, “¿Andabas de malvado ayer?” (roughly: “Were you out being wicked again?”). That phrase stuck like paint on canvas in his mind; part chastised, part inspiration.
Rooted in his memory and his love for supervillains, Malvados became more than a name, it became a symbol! Though you’ll often see it stylized as Malvadxs, the “X” drops the masculine “o” to make space for all identities. Because honestly, there's a malvado or malvada in all of us and Jesse’s here to celebrate it through art.
Jesse Rivas is an artist hailing from Inglewood, California. His inspiration is influenced by pop culture, particularly supervillains, hip-hop, and the heartbeat of his community. HIs preferred medium is oil on canvas, but will occasionally switch to acrylic paint or graphic design. Drawing parallels between villains and societal challenges, his art becomes a canvas for shedding light on the struggles that afflict his neighborhood. Using villains as metaphorical representation of these struggles. Since earning his bachelor degree of Arts from CSU Channel Islands, Jesse currently works as a product developer, but is constantly striving to build his career as a professional artist.