Drawing Roots. The Art and Story of Huizar.
Presented by Moments Media, TA98’s Digital Storytelling Division
Written & Photo by Araceli Ramirez
Page design by David Rojas Jr.
When his daughters ask him to draw Hello Kitty or their favorite cartoon characters, Huizar grabs a pencil without hesitation.
The moments take him back to his own childhood, sitting at the kitchen table with his mom, asking her to sketch animals, flowers, or anything his young mind could imagine. Back then, it felt like a game.
Now, with two little girls of his own, drawing has become something deeper: a connection between generations, a reminder of why he creates.
Huizar grew up in Chicago, mostly around the Midway area, but his roots stretch back to Mexico. Born in Jalisco to a family from Zacatecas, he identifies as Mexican American, a dual identity that often surfaces in his artwork.
His signature “cara de nopal” character came from a moment early in his life. At his first job in a pizzeria, someone casually called him that. He didn’t understand the term at first, but his mind began working visually. “I thought it would be kind of sick to have that portrayed physically in a character,” he said.
As a kid, Huizar had always been artistic. He spent hours copying superheroes like Spider-Man, X-Men, and the occasional SpongeBob.
At John F. Kennedy High School, an art teacher noticed Huizar’s potential and gave him the freedom to draw whatever he wanted. The encouragement stuck, even though he never took a formal painting class.
In college at Richard Daley, art stayed on the sidelines. It wasn’t until he became a father that Huizar began pursuing it seriously, reaching out to art shows, networking, and doing pop-up exhibits.
“I started off by copying what I saw. Now it’s more of an idea,” Huizar said of his process.
His garage, which he transformed into his own studio, became a sanctuary. “Having your own artistic space and being able to separate yourself to focus was really important to me because before I was just in a room,” he said. “This space has helped me grow as an artist.”
Huizar remembers riding the trains in Chicago, captivated by graffiti flashing past the windows. For him, boredom has always been crucial to creativity. “It allows your mind to wander and follow the creative feelings,” he said.
His art explores themes of navigating Mexican American identity. “We’re not 100% either, like we have to own that,” Huizar said, reflecting on the tension and beauty of balancing two cultures.
His daughters, ages five and six, have become a major influence on his work. “They develop their own style, and they draw these crazy abstract ideas. Watching that natural creativity that sometimes, sadly, school and life can take out of you,” he said.
Huizar now has six murals across Chicago, including a collaboration at Novel Pizza in Pilsen with fellow artist Emmanuel Gomez. But even with those public works, some of his most meaningful art remains the simple sketches he does for his kids.
As Huizar balances family, work, and his art, he’s learned that inspiration doesn’t always come from sitting in front of a blank canvas. It often finds him in the small, ordinary moments: watching his daughters play, driving through the city, or letting his mind wander after a long day.
“You have to live life a little bit to create,” he said.