Born and raised in Bakersfield, Esai Mendez has participated in nine Via Arté festivals.

His Via Arté works have focused on gender representation, color and modernizing historical references. In 2017, Esai won over the people’s hearts with his portrait of Salvador Dali and received the ‘People’s Choice’ award.  

Esai earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from California State University Bakersfield. He works with sculpture, furniture and ceramics to explore domesticity and the relationship with the human form.  

Esai currently lives in Austin, TX where he continues to explore his art.