Manuela Escobar, also known as Toy Invades, is an international artist that specializes in murals, spray paints , street art, acrylic, paintings and many more. In fact, Manuela is a self-taught artist. In just two years of dedicated spray painting and mural-making, she has put herself in the center of the spotlight.
She was born in Medellin, Colombia, and she moved to the United States when she was one year old. Manuela was raised in Miami, where much of her inspiration comes from. Her story is exceptional and inspiring. She is a DACA / dreamer recipient and despite being an immigrant and having to deal with so many obstacles, she was still able to overcome them and write her own success story.
“In 2021, after being inspired by the movie “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” I went on a three-month spree of street creation, producing forty murals, a feat that I documented thoroughly on Tik Tok and other social videography platforms which gained global attention. Art saved my life. Through colors and paint I was able to find myself and my purpose”, Manuela shares.
Within a week of starting documenting her process on TikTok, Manuela went viral with her signature fluorescent dream tape maze design, and had over 30 million views worldwide. Thanks to this, she started getting gigs painting murals all over Miami !
Currently, Manuela has been featured in numerous articles, events, and live art shows. She has also worked with Bullnene, Dj nano, Malu Travejo, Em sculpt Neo, Sls , onlyindade and the orginal selfie museum just to name a few! Her biggest impact to date was Miami’s Art Basel 2022 where she premiered Toy’s Fun House at The Art Plug Power house 2022 at The Wharf in Miami .
Manuela was inspired to get into this industry by renowned artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Shepard Fairy and Invader, who represent some of her role models.
“Everything I do comes from love, I don’t care for money. I know I do need it to survive, but money and materialistic things mean nothing to me. To me, success means helping others succeed and achieve their dreams”, she adds.
Some time ago, a major depressive episode awakened Manuela to get out of her comfort zone and chase her true dream, which was to become a artist spreading love and joy through her art and bringing the community together. That was exactly what she did, and now Manuela is an internationally recognized artist who is causing an extremely positive impact on society!
But of course, not everything has been easy on her journey. Quite the opposite. She had to deal with mental health, toxic relationships and with all the challenges that come with building a business from scratch. Manuela had to teach herself everything from accounting and finance, social media marketing, website management, effective communication and many more. As she says, it was a whole new world to her!
“I discovered that mindset is everything. I had to cut off toxic relationships, stop the partying and give anyone access to me. I had to become selfish and do whatever possible to protect my bubble “energy”, because when my mind is clouded with nonsense it makes it harder for me to focus. I learned that I have to be very disciplined with myself”, Manuela details.
She is stepping into 2023 with big goals and aspirations, such as transitioning into web 3, creating more murals, participating in more events, being part of Art Basel 2023 and releasing Toy friends and nfts!
“If you’re trying to start a new business, be consistent. Do lots of research and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Also, get a mentor! Don’t be afraid to fail or try new things, every new skill I’ve acquired has been through making mistakes and failing but learning!”, Manuela advises.
Without a doubt, Manuela’s story is a source of hard work and inspiration not only to artists and entrepreneurs, but to all of us. To find out more about her work, follow her on Instagram here and check out her website here.
