Rojo the Artist, discovered his passion for art at the young age of fifteen but describes himself as always being a creative person. Roldan professionally started art at twenty-two years old after quitting his job in sales. The artist believes in pursuing whatever career makes you happy and not choosing a path simply for others.
Jorge Roldan is a Puerto Rican artist who goes by the name of ‘Rojo the Artist’ and is originally from Cleveland, Ohio but moved to Tampa about four years ago. He currently lives in Valrico, but his colorful murals can be found all over Tampa Bay. He discovered his passion to create when he was 15 years old and taught himself how to paint.
Rojo states, “I’ve always been creative for as long as I can remember; I started making things when I was a little kid. My mom would mop the floor, and I realized we didn’t have a wet floor sign, so I got a piece of cardboard and went to my room to make one for the kitchen floor. When I lost my first tooth, I put it under my pillow, expecting the Tooth Fairy to bring me something. When I awoke the next morning and found my tooth still under the pillow, I immediately started making signs and leaving them all the way from the front door of our house to my bedroom, so the Tooth Fairy knew where to find my tooth.” It’s clear that Roldan took his creativity as a young child and only enhanced it to create beautiful masterpieces throughout Tampa Bay.
Roldan got his start when he quit his sales job to pursue his true passion, art, at the age of 22. He has gained his experience by painting for small businesses as well as murals around Tampa Bay. His most recent mural was for Seminole Elementary School in Seminole Heights, which was a butterfly to welcome back the students into the fall semester. Roldan enjoys working with the community and giving back with his art, he states, “I enjoy doing public art and having my art seen in different areas of the community.” However, Roldan’s passion doesn’t just stop at painting his own art, he also teaches mural classes to students at TRIBE Seminole Heights.
One of Roldan’s main goals in life is to travel the world and make the world a more scenic journey for everyone. He also says that he has experienced love all his life and wants to provide the same experience for everyone else through his art.
When talking about his regret, Roldan mentions not starting sooner. His love for art and painting began when he was just five years old; however, he didn’t fully begin his art career until he was twenty-two. The artist makes it clear that it’s very important to believe in yourself and not get distracted by what others want you to do in life.
