Estéban  Whiteside (b. 1985) is a self-taught painter whose work is based on the  intersectionality of street art and politics. A native of Asheville,  North Carolina, he began painting as an act of love, which then led to  him dedicating more time and research into painting, with an interest in  abstraction. Having always been inspired by outspoken artists, after  seeing the death of Michael Brown, he felt he could no longer create  work that didn’t address social issues, and began developing an artist  narrative stemming from circumstances affecting the Black community.  He eventually relocated to Washington, D.C., where he began showing his paintings just outside of his neighborhood. The polarizing reactions in  the feedback he got from passers-by motivated him to continue producing.