Artist Sentrock Uses His Murals to Explore the Confines of the Chicano Experience

Joseph Perez, known professionally as Sentrock, went from tagging walls in Phoenix, Arizona to creating commissioned works of art downtown Chicago. Today, the muralist is one of the most recognizable artists in the city, known for his masked characters that tell stories about the Chicano experience. "I am a third-generation Mexican-American," Perez says. "We commonly refer to ourselves as 'Chicano,' which is slang for being born in the US but with Mexican heritage. We created our own unique culture from the way we speak spanglish to our food to our art forms that come from the communities we grew up in."

Perez, who grew up in Phoenix, was a quiet kid. Although he enjoyed his upbringing as a whole, it wasn't without its challenges, and he always dreamt of escaping. The dynamics he dealt with in childhood ended up playing a role in Perez's artistic perspective, which is a theme that's evident in his artwork today. "I feel 'hope' is the foundation underlying a lot of my work," he says. "The significance of my bird-masked character is essentially a young boy looking for something bigger than his reality. He represents what the youth face growing up in certain socioeconomic communities who strive to stay out of the barriers that hold them back."

Many of Perez's murals, though fun to look at, touch on these darker, heavier topics faced by Chicanos. Mass incarceration, gang life, immigration, and gun violence are just some of the themes he tackles in his work. The "Bird City Saint" characters also tell stories of hope, faith, and what it means to be free after feeling caged in. Finding that freedom is something Perez first tasted in high school when he picked up a spray can. "Spray paint is my go-to and my first love," he says. "I started spray painting probably around age 15. It gave me a sense of the freedom I was always looking for."

Graffiti was the gateway for Perez to explore his environment from the perspective of an artist. Just like the birds in his artwork, he dreamt of flying away and breaking free from the confines of the streets and environmental barriers he faced. "During high school, my father was locked up for a few years and I would use my art as my way to escape and get my emotions out," Perez says. That has since manifested in vignettes that give viewers a bird's eye view of the everyday lives and struggles of people in the neighborhood. "What inspires me is the idea of being able to connect with my audience through my art," he says. "I might not be able to change the hood or rewrite history, but if I can bring some hope to those around me, then in the end, I'll feel accomplished."

When Perez decided he wanted to be an artist, he wasn't exactly sure what that would look like. He started by selling prints and painting small murals in the community in order to build his portfolio. He also broadened his knowledge of the art world by visiting galleries and art museums. "I had zero artists in my family, so I had to discover what the art world was and figure out a lot myself," Perez says. It was that self-starter mentality and the need for expansion that led to more opportunities, and eventually brought him to the Windy City in his 20s when he enrolled in art school.

Today, Sentrock's art and stories are all over Chicago and have made their way into art galleries. Through art, he's changed his circumstances and is doing what he loves. As a result, he stands as a beacon of hope for others. His characters have been made into figurines and have been featured on t-shirts and hats. He's even worked in collaboration with the Chicago Bulls, the White Sox, and has created cover art for well-known artists. Currently, he's also working with Walmart to promote other artists in the city of Chicago. Perez's story proves that despite the uncertainty and challenges Chicano's face in this country, they can achieve anything. Ultimately, his message is one of perseverance and knowing that his own experiences have allowed him to show others why caged birds sing — they sing of freedom.

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