Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Limeres.
Hi Christopher, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
This is a question that I often find myself doing more backtracking on. So much has happened since I last spoke about this at the Denver Artist Coverage Panel. I moved from there two years ago and have been living in Bexar County, San Antonio, for quite some time. I don’t really ponder how I started; it came very naturally, almost like an instinct within me that was already present and unlocked — I just tapped into it spontaneously.
I spent so much time engrossed in nature, seeing the purity and stigma that was around me. It truly amplified that inner childlike wonder; you felt free and liberated. And I faced struggles, like many creatives did, when building a foundation to launch from.
The wildlife of Alaska, where I grew up, gave me stability even during the chaos of unstable family dynamics. But having access to mountains, lakes, and the ocean — and more — really was rich. I felt it even more upon departing from that part of my life when I moved to Texas. What I felt was that absence, in a sense. It truly was a different era. And, add to the fact that I grew up without phones and devices, I got to really tap into those imaginative, authentic parts of myself even as a teenager.
I recall walking through tundra, mountains, and valleys, exploring the Pacific Ocean from a young age into adulthood. I would beachcomb, see the orca rise from the water with its black fin, or watch the caribou move about the plains — it was ethereal.
My family didn’t have a lot of wealth; I came from humble beginnings. This was free — only a drive or walk away, even if you lived in Anchorage.
Having a boat got you around to Southeast Alaska, including the capital, Juneau. There were so many hidden gems, and if I had the money, I would’ve traveled around even more!
So that made it all so much more than just a beautiful place I grew up in for 18 years. To me and others, it was a spiritual, therapeutic realm in a sense.
I spent six years, up until the point of moving to San Antonio, Texas, in places of doubt, isolation, and confusion. I had unresolved issues within myself that made me stagnate in various parts of my life — from toxic relationships and bad environments. However, I still kept a passion to create no matter what. It was the only part of myself that felt fluid and full of life: hours after work painting digitally and designing clothing. That, at the time, was my saving grace and therapy to fight the misery right before getting up and working a graveyard shift.
It wasn’t until a few years later, when I moved to the great yee-haw state of Texas after living in Buffalo, NY; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Denver, Colorado, that the intense survival mode ended. The veil was slowly being removed. I spent so much time outside of squeezing in an art show or collaboration in between a hectic life — I wasn’t channeling my partial potential.
I have a good friend, a man I consider a brother, named Gabriel Tristian, who is a creative like myself. He’s really elevated my life — even as we speak, I wouldn’t be where I’m at consciously if our paths hadn’t crossed a few years ago when I took a brief vacation to Maui, Hawaii. I still give credit to the bridges and milestones I’ve crossed myself, but having emotional and physical stability is often overlooked in the life of an artist.
Fast forward to now: I’ve completed two high-end fashion shows through my clothing brand Surreal Frontiers in Austin and Dallas, TX, rebooted my social platforms, done some rebranding, and experimented in sculpting. I officially left the 9-5 trap — aka the rat race — and took a risk of moving into the focus of self-employment. Even during its rough moments, when there’s unpredictability, I hold the line and stay the course for a better future where my full potential can be unleashed!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As stated before at the beginning, it had a lot of challenges — much of it was mental blocks, unhealed trauma paired with finances, and the wrong environments. I was dealing with unhealthy energy, which added to all these factors.
I spent so much of my early 20s until the last few years working manual labor, service industry jobs, cleaning gigs — all while attending a liberal arts school in 2017 for a brief amount of time in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I tried to fill a void, taking in professional experience from deans and teachers, but there wasn’t any guidance. Many taught you how to serve others, not how to lead or be self-governed. Add to the fact that I was living with a bunch of strangers, using most of the money I had just to get by, only to turn to Stafford loans.
I don’t want to come off as highlighting the negative, but this honestly was the visceral reality of what I was faced with at the time. I took a leave of absence after my time there and took on more hours at my delivery job, splitting that with my second job working as a waiter at an Asian fusion restaurant.
I was living in some rough neighborhoods at the time — sketchy individuals, gang violence — and living alone. My energy to create any form of art for quite some time was stripped, and I was just starting off painting through multimedia programs and experimenting after spending much of my time traditionally using pencils and paint to create.
Sleepless nights outside of work schedules and junk food didn’t help at all, and even when I managed to save up a little and moved out of state to Colorado, I suffered from a lack of connections with an artistic audience. I did what I could to make friends, but I was already hitting a wall, back and forth. I took the blessings when they rarely came: a quick engagement from a show, a shared conversation…
I felt unsatisfied, truly. I never demanded much in life, but I also knew that there was so much inner conflict within. I was at war with myself, to say the least. Many artists use it as a coping mechanism and pivot it to their strengths, but to me, that wasn’t enough.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I really admire painting, sculpting, and designing clothing. Being multifaceted has taught me to appreciate those small, intricate, intimate moments on the canvas — whether it’s fabric or painting from a screen. I’ve always wanted to fully express myself, break through limitations, and enjoy every moment. You never get bored of one thing.
I have always dedicated myself to the craft. Painting was my foundation for so many years that when I moved into apparel, I was happy to make the brave transition. To me, it was an evolution into something greater — my art would have a different way to be presented to the world. From the start, I was eager to bring a deeper level of accessibility to my art, and this was it: the game changer.
I always approach it from an angle of humility, but I fully admit that I specialize in digitally and traditionally painting surreal worlds and transcendent realities carved by my imagination. I really enjoy pushing an idea beyond an area of simplicity. For example, when I first started painting — even before the digital era — I often found myself focusing on portraiture: the details in the eyes, nose, emotional expressions. There was so much magic in that moment.
I was always learning. Even when I merged into digital painting, I moved through humility. Whether I was creating landscapes or detailed faces, I was thrilled to grow in new mediums. When I started to narrow down my niche and lock in on creating sci-fi, fantasy, cultural motifs, and surreal subjects in my art — that’s when it truly became a game changer for me. I wasn’t just creating for the sake of being an artist and existing. I felt like my paintings and fashion were truly impacting people — almost as if they had a high surreal impact at intense levels. I’m not bragging; this is what it truly felt like.
I had people tell me my art reminded them of their dreams, of a homeland in Egypt, that it brought out their adventurous side, and inspired them, this art I was making touched lives it went beyond anything I ever could have pictured and it felt like the start of something full of grandeur.
What sets me apart from people in my personal life, at least creatively, is that I go the extra limit to put myself in extremely unfamiliar environments — whether I’m in a place handing out my art prints to indigenous cultures overseas, speaking in non-English environments, learning their backgrounds, or studying ancient history and finding ways to communicate it in a relevant way to a newer generation.
What I’m most proud of — well… I won’t make a Christmas list of this, but I’ll start by saying that I feel pure optimism from the aftermath of finishing two major fashion shows. It isn’t the end — only the launch of a great creative journey ahead. Yet I feel as though my art has hit a level that leaves me in a state of shock, humbled nonetheless. To think that my art is being worn, featured on people’s bodies in front of cameras and crowds — a few years ago, it wouldn’t have seemed possible.
For many years, I had been on this path, building this clothing brand Surreal Frontiers. Years later, and after a much-needed rebrand — we’re here!
The clothing brand’s motto is to transform the individual: to go beyond simply looking flashy and trendy and form a sense of bold self-expression. Think of it as a personality palette where every graphic, color, and detail has a true intention to make you look and feel divine.
We are created by sentient hands; the universe reflects its cosmic powers through us. My favorite statement is we are celestial beings. I stand by this context, as it fuels me to reflect this definition through my creations.
My art is made for the dreamer, the inner child — the one who demands escapism in a world bound by the limits of the third dimension. I feel as though my art is a gift, a remedy. I give the key to you, so you can open up my mind and explore the innovations of my imagination. I move with humility and care, guiding you into places formed by dreams, life experiences, and cosmic aura.
If you are my target audience, then this article is especially for you!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
On a positive note, I really enjoy the passion of the culture in the Alamo City — how richly represented the fiestas, celebration of music, and recognition of diversity are shown. It really welcomes you.
My first year here in San Antonio, I was curious about it all, so I explored the various counties and even went as far as Hill Country from where I was staying in Bexar County. Another one of my favorite nightlife locations is Maeve — the ambiance, music, and sound design are unbeatable. Right next to it you have Easy Baby Texas, the social lounge near the Pearl District — a happy spot for me, undeniably my favorite.
Even the country clubs and venues have exciting energy. I’ve never been too big on line dancing, waltz, cowboy cha-cha, and East Coast swing — which I hear is getting more popular — yet I still admire them. I definitely got more invested in the Latin dance scene. I took salsa and merengue lessons at Arjon’s International Club, which mesmerized me until I hit some barriers dealing with not-so-good instructors — but that didn’t slow me down. I really like the fluidity of the movement and the music.
At the end of the day, I realized I prefer to dance less intensely to salsa and enjoy bachata or similar forms. I’ve taken a big hiatus from the dance scene, but I plan on gradually moving back!
Another wonderful experience in San Antonio has been the rodeos. I took my sister there a year ago, dressed in a poncho with the goal of being a trendsetter, and I haven’t forgotten the thrill. I was grateful that no bulls or cowboys were harmed in the process for the sake of entertainment as the announcer roared updates above the stage while reading Bible verses.
The engagement and dedication of seeing the art in it all was what made me look at this place differently. Growing up in Alaska, I wasn’t around this kind of entertainment — we had less organized events and more self-driven activities such as skiing, rock climbing, hiking, sledding, and far more than what I can fit into this article!
I never had exposure to Hispanic culture or country/southern upbringings, so it was a shock to the system! I’m not talking down on my place of origin — it’s just the complete polar opposite (no pun intended) from San Antonio and the rest of America.
We had people from many walks of life — from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Native Alaskan ethnic groups — but one thing I never had exposure to was any form of Hispanic background, even when I moved to Anchorage.
It’s refreshing to experience something new and unfamiliar — especially the food scene here, which is truly god-tier. My god, I feel like two years deep into living here I’ve developed an addiction to eating — and luckily, I have a fast metabolism and I work out and train constantly. I go from Mexican food, Madre Laguna, El Canelo, Pasha, and who can forget Mama Margie’s — plus millions more!
No offense to the other food joints, but I have to say: Chacho’s is unbeatable. It’s spirit food for the soul and mind. Everything from the hospitality, chips & salsa, the drinks, and the tacos — legendary. The soft tortillas, the seasoning — it feels like a perfect dream. My go-to is the country sausage and egg with the combination of bean and cheese tacos. They are a gift to the world. If it were up to me, I’d put them on the list of America’s best Mexican food — or the world’s best!!!
Now, to speak about the things that could be tweaked about this great city: I truly think, deep to my core, that San Antonio could improve the representation of artistry and events. There are a few nonprofits and some aid from the Blue Star Arts Complex, Texas Public Radio — which is good, right?
But all I hear are excuses when this subject is brought up, such as:
“Where would we get funding?”
“That isn’t logical; it’s a huge task.”
“Well, Austin isn’t too far…”
As if that justifies it. Artists are a foundation — the flesh and blood of society. Everything we see is a work of art. That presence must be amplified. Look at Jesse Treviño — a prolific San Antonio icon. His beautiful piece on the side of the hospital downtown (Spirit of Healing) captures an angel watching over a young boy holding a dove. The boy in the mural is Treviño’s son, Jesse Jr.
There are hidden gems all over this city like this legend — God rest his soul. I think creating more organizations and community spaces for artists who are struggling to find their voice, belonging, or lacking exposure — especially those who aid the city — should be discussed and considered.
It’s already been hard enough living here the past two years, finding people who want that genuine connection. When it comes to making friends, you have to look really hard. I have made solid connections, but you definitely have to put your foot in the door.
Another thing I’ve disliked is how places close early. If you want to go out, there’s a clear challenge you’ll run into — especially during the week. The weekend is when things start to fly off, but during the week it presents limitations.
There’s a lot of care and good intent from the Southtown 101 crowd. Anna, who hosts the art shows and gives a voice to vendors, really does what she can — and I’m truly grateful for that. There’s uplifting energy there.
I’m not saying all is lost here for the creative community, but this frustration I have is valid nonetheless. It comes from a place of concern — a desire to propel that creative spirit more into the great Alamo City.
My efforts are sincere. There’s a lot of good here, but I do have my constructive critiques in areas of improvement. I feel this place is in a state of evolution — and one day, it could reach those heights of greatness!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrislimeres-surrealfrontiers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrislimeres_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.limeres.2025/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisLimeresArt/featured
- Other: https://www.chrislimeresart.com/
