About

Sergio Hernandez a.k.a. “Surge” was born and raised in San Diego, California. His passion for art began as a child when his mother would take him to free museum days. “I was infatuated with the lives of artists and how someone could make something that could be around a long time after they were.” He was also intrigued by the value of art and what made some work more valuable than others. “This was a main motivation of mine to create initially, but that changed over time,” Sergio reflects.

Raised in a highly religious family, where he was required to attend church 2 to 3 times per week, Sergio would hide little pieces of paper to draw on in his bible. He would lose himself in the little characters he drew and found inspiration from the cartoons he would see in the Sunday comics like Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. The characters he creates today still have a playfulness with chubby-cute childlike features, a style the Japanese refer to as “Chibi.” “Painting helps me to make sense of my life and make fun of myself…culture is so weird to me, I like to paint about it and reference the things in my life, like my three kids.”

Sergio Hernandez majored in painting and printmaking at San Diego State University but his life as an artist didn’t really begin until later on. It started suddenly, while on a lunch break from his 9-5 lackluster job. “I decided to quit – right then and there. I made a promise to myself I would dedicate myself to making art. I would find a way.”

As luck would have it, shortly after Sergio’s epiphany, he was offered a tattoo internship out of the blue while painting a mural downtown. Recognizing this highly competitive and sought after opportunity, Sergio knew he had to take it. Today, Sergio tattoos at Seven Seas Tattoo in San Diego and continues to paint murals and exhibit his art locally and abroad. You can catch some of his recent work at his upcoming art show on August 1st at The Good Stuff Cookie Company located at 828 G Street in Downtown San Diego. You can also still see some of Sergio’s awesome characters and mural work at SILO in Makers Quarter™.

Photos and article by Carly Ealey

Art independently curated by Chris Konecki. For more information on art in Makers Quarter™ contact: art@makersquarter.com