The Montrose Neighborhood's Designer + Artist
"Being able to do what I love to do and that is my passion, it's indescribable. I have to remind myself I am very blessed. Being able to give back, it just fulfills my heart."
These are the words of contemporary abstract artist Edgar Medina, who is also co-owner of Native Citizen, a design showroom on Dunlavy Street right in the heart of Houston's Montrose neighborhood.
"We do a lot of design projects," Edgar says. "We also have modern furniture. We just started our new line with sofas, club chairs, coffee tables, and we also do custom furniture pieces."
Take one look around the store, and any homeowner will be wonderfully overwhelmed by the many unique possibilities their décor offers. For Edgar though, his career path certainly didn't start out here. In fact, the road to becoming a professional artist was paved with health-related snags.
"My story with art goes back to being a kid," he says. "I used to suffer from asthma and bronchitis, and I spent most of my days in hospitals or just being at home not being able to have a normal childhood. My parents always kept me inside, and one of the things that I loved the most was being able to paint with water colors and coloring and coloring books."
In his personal studio, Edgar almost always has a smile on his face. To create his next masterpiece, Edgar's bare hands pull from dozens of paint colors, sprawling them across a wide-open canvas using a variety of application methods.
"One of the things that I love to do," Edgar continues, "is spending time with children at the hospital because I know what it's like being there, just being on a bed and wanting to be outside and you can't. If I can spend a couple of hours with them and make them happy, then that's what I love the most."
Several photos show Edgar leading art classes for hospitalized children. In one photo, a young girl's wheelchair has several birthday balloons tied to the handle, a palette in front of her.
"Montrose, it's been a staple in the community," Edgar says of his neighborhood. "It's a unique part of town. We have bars, we have restaurants, and we have a lot of unique stores like Native Citizen. This is an amazing city. I love Houston. I love the Montrose area."
Seated in front of a completed painting which gives off an industrial chic vibe, Edgar has thrown on a sharp blazer over his paint-splattered t-shirt. It seems his artwork truly is a representation of himself—frenetic elegance with a boisterous sophistication.
"I see myself continuing creating, doing what I love to do," Edgar says. "Most importantly, something that fulfills me…giving back in the community."
More information, along with a portfolio of design work performed around the city, can be found at medinaedgar.com.
Listings in Montrose
4 Courtlandt Place
1635 Sul Ross Street
506 Avondale Street
3 bed / 3 bath, 3158 sq.ft.