Meet the Five Artists Changing the Way We Think About Issues

Success doesn’t mean you know what you want to do with your life. It’s knowing what kind of world you want to do it in.

Knowing the artwork of the greats is important, but nothing is as inspiring as discovering the work of a peer who is trailblazing their way into future art history textbooks.

From the favelas of Brazil, to the busied streets of Kolkata – these breakout artists are finding ways to tell their stories in order to generate empathy, and shift perspectives.

They’re changing the perception of topics ranging from human rights to the environment, but the most important work they do might be reminding us that change can come from all of us.

Get inspired by the passion these five featured scholars have for creating with a purpose, and use their stories as inspiration for finding your own:

Matheus Felix Da Silva, Graphic Designer

“The Stolen Innocence” by Matheus Felix Da Silva

“My work has a focus on life in Brazil, within my community. I want to use design to help people from communities like mine realize they have a voice, and can get involved.

My series, The Invisible Ones talks about the invisibility that we have to poor people that lives in “favelas” in Rio. It’s a critic to our government system that doesn’t care about those people and places.”

Sariena Luy, Film

Still from Sariena’s untitled film, which explores gender identities.

“Learning how to count my blessings is what built my foundation and interest as a creative. This is how I became a storyteller. As an artist, I represent the marginalized youth, the insecure women, the South East Asians, the mentally unstable and all the stories that I know are not told since I embody them. I live to work, serve and mentor youth who want to amplify their voices.”

Yasguen Quintero Valenzuela, 3D animation

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Overcoming Limit, by Yasguen Quintero Valenzuela

“I want to use creativity in this field to lead projects that leave a mark on society and teach children and around the world that no matter their reality, they are strong enough to fight for success.”

Rupa Biswas, Film

Still from Rupa’s film, Treacher

“I want to take filmmaking as my career so that I can develop more open and wider outlook and also aware the youth and people on the factors that are tabooed in our society. This will give me the opportunity to breakthrough the gender notions about set roles of girls as homemakers.”

Gabi de Carvalho, Photojournalism

“A Symbol of Hope” by Gabi de Varvalho

“I have been able to connect to different people from all over the world, that speak a different language than mine, but one thing that they taught me is that no matter where we’re from we can make a positive impact. I want to do that by building bridges between cultures and not tearing them down, by defending the truth because that’s what art is all about.”

These are only five of the twenty-five Adobe Creativity Scholars – all committed to ensuring this is the generation of positive change. And they’re just getting started.

Want to keep the inspo going? Find out more about the Creativity Scholar Program.