Red Bull Latagráfica Edición II features culture-inspired design

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Red Bull Latagráfica, a creative project that pays homage to Los Angeles and Latino art communities, is making a return appearance as Edición II. Artist Ernesto Yerena Montejano was selected to create custom artwork for the limited-edition Red Bull Latagráfica Edición II 12-oz. can, which is available in California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois and other locations within the United States. 

 

Yerena, who currently resides in Los Angeles, took design inspiration from Dia De Los Muertos.  

"My interpretation of the word 'energy' led me to create a stylized image of the sun. To me, the rose represents dignity; butterflies represent migration, metamorphosis and the voyage; and the fire represents energy and knowledge," Yerena said. "The calavera is my representation of a Dia De Los Muertos sugar skull. To me the holiday is to celebrate life and death, which is meaningful because to celebrate death is to no longer fear it."    

 

Yerena grew up in El Centro, Calif., about 15 minutes from the border of Mexico. He said that crossing the border gave him a perspective that allowed him to experience the best of both worlds: access to U.S. education and the authentic cultural richness of Mexico. Yerena earned a B.A. in visual communications and in 2008 founded the Hecho Con Ganas publishing project.

 

"It was the legacy of the Red Bull brand within culture that convinced me to be a part of the project," Yerena said. "I am very excited to know that my art will be produced in a large scale and to a broader audience."