Charles Gitnick

Charles Gitnick was born on April 3, 2002 in Los Angeles. Not much is known about his family except for the facts that his father’s name is Neil and he has an elder brother named Thomas. From a young age Charles was encouraged by his family to pursue his creative interests and it was his father who helped him sell his first piece of art. Apart from creating art work, the teen loves to play football and skateboarding. He is good friends with social media star Joey Birlem and coordinated with him in a Musical.ly video titled ‘Why you shootin me bro.’ The two teens have also toured and attended ‘Meet & Greet’ events together. They even sell merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, and hoodies.

Charles Gitnick was born with an innate love for the arts. He was barely five when he started making paintings at home. His initial creations were abstracts and landscapes. His parents soon noticed their little son’s skills and had him enrolled for art classes. The boy, however, did not like the classes as he felt that his creativity was being curbed by his teachers. He thus left the class and started studying art by himself through videos and books. His favorite artists are Jackson Pollack and Jean-Michel Basquiat who he considers his inspiration. He really admires them for their originality.

Charles was motivated to utilize guns in his art work after hearing about the shootings and terrorist attacks that happen regularly. He wanted to convey the message to his audience that guns are scary and dangerous, and thus need to be kept away from the streets. As we can see from his art works, the figures of the guns are concealed behind vibrant colors, making them almost invisible. Through such works, the young artist conveys a symbolic message: guns are best left invisible and confined to the art galleries.

Starting small, from his own home where he sold his first piece of anti-gun art work, the youngster has now come a long way. As of June 2017, he has received commissions from all over the United States, and other countries like Canada, Australia, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, and Columbia! He charges up to $2500 per piece and has exhibited his art work in several famous galleries around the world. This youngster is not just spreading the message of peace, but has also created a reputation for himself as a rising artist who has got a lot to offer to the world. Not at all bad for a boy who is still in his teens!