A proud native of East Chicago, Indiana, Felix is a self-taught fine artist with more than twenty years experience in painting, drawing and sculpture. In 1995, he received his BFA in Advertising with a minor in Graphic Design from the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
Maldanado begins his portrait creations by sitting each subject down for a photograph. Encouraged to pose in a manner that represents themselves, their individualities come alive frame by frame. This initial photo session is imperative to Maldanado's creative process for portraits, as this is where he begins his "visual conversation."
These larger than life portraits command attention and respect, which Felix bestows upon these people. The detail in the faces of the subjects is made with care but also with a spontaneous and physical manner associated with the medium they all use: the spray can.
