A conversation with the celebrated muralist about blending heritage, color, and creativity.
When you enter a room that has been graced by the brush of muralist Abel Macias, you are transported into a whimsical fairytale full of flora, fauna, and folklore–it’s an all-encompassing, singular experience. But Macias didn’t set out to be a muralist. Trained as a fine artist at the Savannah College of Art & Design, he began his creative career painting on canvas. A love for street art and graffiti during his time living in New York, however, shifted his perspective, quite literally, toward larger surfaces. “I was immersed in this visual language of the city,” he recalls. “Even the trash on the streets started to look like art. It made me see walls as places for immersive storytelling.”
That shift from gallery walls to building walls was the beginning of something much bigger for him personally as well. A campaign for the iconic shoe brand, Doc Martens, became his first crossover moment, bridging street art and commercial work. But it was a chain of restaurants in New York—Dos Caminos—that brought it all together. “It was the first time I really got to express my Mexican heritage through art on that scale,” Macias says. “They gave me full freedom. They wanted it to feel Mexican, and I got to explore what that meant to me through folk art—animals, plants, colors.” That personal connection—to heritage, place, and story—has become the heart of Macias’s work. His murals are full of visual metaphors and folkloric motifs, hand-painted in a distinctive, scratchy brushwork that feels both modern and deeply rooted. “There’s always a story,” he says. “Even if I’m not writing words, the animals and plants and shapes start to create their own dialogue. People who live with the murals begin to see new things in them over time.” Macias’s parents, both Mexican immigrants, returned to Mexico in recent years, reinforcing a connection to the culture he draws from so naturally. Summers spent with grandparents in Mexico, shaped his visual language. “It’s in everything I do—the textiles, the pottery, the colors I grew up with,” he says. “But I always try to put a twist on it. I want it to feel elevated, modern, and uniquely mine.” That blend of fine art and folk tradition is now instantly recognizable. His murals appear in boutique hotels, restaurants, and residences across the country, from the Proper Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, to private homes in the Hamptons. But the process is far from formulaic.
“I like to start with color,” he explains. “Especially in residential work, I’ll take cues from the design palette—maybe it’s a cherry red accent wall, or a certain textile—and then build from there. It’s always collaborative.” When it comes to commercial projects, Macias takes a slightly different approach. “People move through those spaces faster. They’re lit more consistently. So the mural needs to make an impression, but also set a mood that holds up throughout the day,” he says. “Residential spaces are more dynamic—lighting changes, furniture shifts, life happens. So I tend to keep the palette softer and more lived-in.”
At the Proper Hotel (as seen above and below), the mural became more than a backdrop. Macias started the project just before COVID hit, which turned into an unexpected gift. “Construction paused, and suddenly I had this quiet, private place to work. It felt like an artist residency. I’d show up alone, music on, and just paint inside this historical building. It was magical.”
Working with renowned interior designer Kelly Wearstler on the project was, in his words, “easy
and organic.” She gave him room to create, occasionally offering gentle suggestions. “It was a true collaboration. Low pressure, but high trust,” he says. “It grew over time; three phases, two years. There was scaffolding up the whole time, so no one really saw it until the very end. And then one day, they took it all down, styled the space, and it came to life. I’ll never forget that moment.”
As his mural work gained recognition, Macias’ creative world expanded. He began collaborations with major brands like West Elm and Scotch & Soda. But it was his wallpaper collection with Schumacher that brought his distinctive aesthetic into even more homes. “They reached out during that post-COVID moment when everyone was craving joy and color again,” he says.
“They wanted to translate my murals into wallpaper. I painted everything life-size in my studio so you could see the brushstrokes and drips. I wanted it to feel handmade, like it had soul.” The resulting collection is full of nature-based motifs—birds, trees, desert landscapes—rooted in his folk art inspirations. The standout wallpaper design entitled “Canopy” features colorful creatures inspired by Mexican embroidery, quickly became a fan favorite.
“We also did softer, more monochromatic versions for people who want something more subtle. I like that balance. Not everyone wants a bold mural on their wall, but they still want something with life.” View the full collaboration with Schumacher here.
When asked what advice he’d give to someone inspired to paint their own mural, Macias is clear: just try. “There’s something beautiful in the imperfect. Don’t worry about being refined or perfect. Be committed. Start painting. It’s about joy, expression, and storytelling.” That spirit of exploration is what continues to drive him. Lately, Macias has been experimenting with new mediums (ceramic tiles, stained glass) and dreaming up ways to bring murals into interiors in unexpected ways. “Tiles are permanent, glossy, and tactile. Stained glass changes with the light. I love the idea of using different materials to create that same feeling of visual storytelling.” It’s all part of his ongoing evolution, pushing boundaries while staying true to his roots. “Murals are where I started, but I’m not limited to a paintbrush,” he says. “I want to keep creating environments that tell a story, that make people feel something. Whether that’s on a wall, a tile, or a window—it’s all part of the same language.”
TEXT BY JASMINE BIBLE + PHOTOS BY ABEL MACIAS STUDIO + THE INGALLS
— We shared this Fine to Folk story with you in the Winter 2025 issue of NEST Magazine.
