“There was a moment when I realized that canvases were a limit, that the message couldn’t reach everybody,” remembers Puerto Rico-born artist Alexis Diaz (@alexis_diaz). “Only a few people could get access to contemplate them in a gallery or in a museum, because in Puerto Rico, there’s a small percentage of people who get access to art education.” Seeking another way to express himself, Alexis turned to mural art and began creating his works in public spaces, to reach out to a broad audience regardless of social status. Using a small brush and a lot of patience, Alexis creates most of his meticulous compositions freehand, line-by-line as he goes along. “I feel like having an intimate conversation between the wall, the surrounding space and me,” says Alexis, whose murals of imagined creatures can be found in more than two-dozen cities around the world. “I put elements together like in a puzzle until the moment of mutual understanding.” Photo by @alexis_diaz