ARRRTADDICT is a visual artist from Ft. Lauderdale with Puerto Rican roots. She initially gained recognition in the fashion industry, designing graphic t-shirts for major stores such as Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and Target.

Her unique style emerged as she ventured into urban skater graphics for Zumiez, catering to black and latino skaters. Transitioning from t-shirts to large murals, she gained prominence as a muralist in Atlanta, known for her vibrant and uplifting artworks. Drawing from her branding expertise, ARRRTADDICT has collaborated with brands like Champion, Nike, and The Atlanta Braves, infusing her collections with her distinctive aesthetic and apparel knowledge.

Her art reflects her Caribbean heritage through tropical motifs, bright colors, and a signature leopard print, while also incorporating a deliberate use of colors to emphasize the vibrancy of the soul rather than skin tones. Her work embodies spirituality, healing, diasporic representation, and color therapy, with a mission to convey stories that inspire unity and equality in the community.

How would you describe your art style in your own words?

My art style is truly a love letter to my roots as a second-generation Puerto Rican being raised in the Dirty South. I utilize vibrant colors and gradients which are inspired by my Caribbean culture as well as the Art Deco aesthetic in South Florida. My leopard print comes from my rebel soul as a young freedom fighter and revolutionary. Leopards are known for being courageous, powerful, confident, patient and wise. My whimsical loose but clean lines are all about being free and not seeking perfection. My plant work represents healing and growth. All the plants I paint are found in both South Florida and Puerto Rico.

I also pay homage to the Dirty South in my work by painting Donk cars and highlighting urban culture. Overall I am just painting stories of my roots and my journey for people to connect, find joy, and a way of healing.

In your opinion, how does spirituality influence your creative process and the themes you include in your artwork?

Before I moved to Georgia I took a trip to Cuba and it really changed my life. I grew up with my family being catholic but what always stood out to me most was when my Mom would do Santeria/ Lucumi rituals. There was something about using natural elements and honoring your ancestors that spoke to me more. I started to feel a calling on me to dig deeper into my roots which is why I went to Cuba and did a Santeria/ Lucumi ritual.

It made me want to move back closer to my family and back to the south. So spirituality plays such a big role in my growth as a human which translates to my story as an artist. Just like my Somos Boricanos mural on the Beltline says " To be grounded in who we are today we must first remember our roots ".

Healing is a significant aspect of your artistic philosophy. How do you believe art can facilitate healing on both an individual and communal level, and have you witnessed any transformative experiences through your work?

I believe life is all about growing and healing. It's a transformative process that never ends just like a plant which is why I add them in my work. Plants grow through dirt and through the process of watering them for nourishment, they bloom. Then they go through a season of cold and lose everything but the sun comes back and they go through the rain to come out blooming again. Such is life!

I believe art facilitates healing by allowing people to see others’ stories, relate to them, find different ways of healing, and most of all the freedom of expression. Artists are some of the most vulnerable people. We lay it all out on a canvas and not everyone has an outlet to do so. My most recent transformative experiences through my work have been with my ARRRT Therapy sessions. It's beautiful to sit back and guide people through their feelings with various tools. I love pushing people out of their comfort zones and giving them a spray can with a needle cap that they have no control of. In a moment of chaos, they find beauty and they can see even in your messiest of times there is a lesson to be learned and a gem to be uncovered.

Sometimes as artists, we are seeking perfection in every line. Where my ARRRT Therapy sessions are more about letting loose and allowing color and various other mediums to express yourself and ultimately have a breakthrough moment as well as a new piece to hang in your home.

As a muralist, you've had the opportunity to create large-scale works in public spaces. How do you approach the design of a mural, and what do you hope viewers take away from encountering your murals in their daily lives?

My first approach is always my color palette. I want to use the most vibrant colors so people can feel joy when they see my work. Next, it's storytelling and my approach to my storytelling is to provide education and unity. One key element in my work is how I never paint my characters in flesh tones and that's because I want the viewer to see the similarities they have with the character vs the color of their skin that has kept us all separated for too long. We all have something to relate to and I want my work to speak to every viewer while still shining a bright light on the African Diaspora.

Collaboration seems to be a huge part of your creative process, whether it’s community projects or working with other artists. Could you share a memorable collaborative experience and how it influenced your artistic perspective?

My favorite collaboration is my work with Deveraux in Kennesaw. Deveraux is a facility that is a last chance for youth between the ages of 7-18. Most of the kids come from Foster Homes, Juvenile Detention centers, and Group homes. I painted a basketball court for them last summer and we had a day where the kids helped me. I really connected with them and saw my little teenage self in a lot of them.

I was a young rebel mad that my Dad died of liver failure and challenged with the happy memories of him as well as the depressing ones of when he was drunk and would abuse me. Now here I am in my 30's thriving in my career as an artist and being able to live freely with my funky dyed hair and cool clothes.

I am able to connect with these kids because they see me. They see themselves in me. Since then I have done meditation classes with the students, canvas painting and I'm getting ready to teach a street art summer class. I love it when they say dang Ms. Lisette you always come in looking fly and I respond yup and it's all provided by art!

I want them to see that they can be free to express themselves and make a living through art which for me feels like I get to be a big kid forever. More importantly, I want to share my childhood traumas with them so they have a role model to look up to who didn't allow what she has been through to stop what she wanted. I also keep it very real with them and let them know that life always throws you curve balls but as long as you keep nourishing your soul you can keep growing. I guess you can say they are the plants I am currently watering and it has been my favorite green thumb art experience of all!