Today we’d like to introduce you to Rokita.
Rokita, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I got my start as an artist when I was just 10 years old living in Willimantic, CT. I had always been creative, but at this point in my childhood I started teaching myself how to draw. I would get books from the library or the bookstore about drawing, or I would simply try to copy images that I found in magazines or novels. Art was a great escape for me, as I grew up in an abusive environment. I would stay up late into the night drawing or reading for hours.
High school changed everything. My father gave me the surprising choice between a private Christian boarding academy in Maine and the local public school, which had a notoriously negative reputation. The boarding school was nearly 4 hours away, and that was enough incentive for me. All I knew was this was my ticket out of the house, and I took it without a second thought.
While at school, I had the opportunity to start taking art classes. My school was mainly known for being a music school. I wanted nothing to do with music, so I ended up in a 2-hour oil painting class twice a week. My teacher, Norman McGuire, was the first person who genuinely believed in me as an artist. He took me aside senior year and tried to have a serious conversation with me about going to art school. I applied to a few art schools and was accepted to Savannah School of Art and Design. Unfortunately, my father held the belief that one could not make money from art, and that I should go to school to get a typical 9-5 job with a steady paycheck. With his voice in the back of my head, I decided to go to school for another interest of mine: Art History, with the eventual goal to become an Art Librarian.
Fast forward, I ended up getting a full ride scholarship and fellowship to attend the University of Pittsburgh to get my Library and Information Science Degree after undergrad. After getting my MLIS, I worked for 5 years as the Fine Arts Librarian at Pitt.
During all of my college and grad school years, I was making art and selling it here and there, but I never made enough to take it too seriously. After leaving Pitt I worked multiple marketing and sales jobs at various businesses and startups. After experiencing multiple layoffs, I decided it was time to take my art seriously.
Today, I can finally say my main profession is being an artist! My work has been collected by people in 10 countries worldwide, and I’ve sold over 200 works of original art since January of 2026. This year I was chosen to be the Resident Artist for Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month by the Carnegie Public Library in Pittsburgh, I appeared in a documentary called ‘Seguimos Aqui’ – about Latino artists in Pittsburgh – and my work was featured in Art Seen Magazine. I’m excited to see where my journey takes me next!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely been a bumpy road, but I think the most difficult part was getting over my imposter syndrome and feeling like my art could never be good enough for me to go full time with it. This, and my dad’s voice saying that I wouldn’t be able to make money with my art, took years to overcome. It has also been challenging being a solo mom while I try to build a collector base. I decided to turn my living room into my art studio to accommodate the need to be present for my daughter. This has turned out to be a blessing, because she loves watching me make art, and it gets her inspired to start creating things in that space, too.
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’m an abstract map maker primarily working with watercolors, inks, and gold leaf on canvas and paper. Through my work, I hope to illuminate the vital intersection of mapping, indigenous knowledge, and environmental stewardship, using creativity as a tool for advocacy and change. I hope my work can inspire a deeper connection to the planet and to one another, fostering a dialogue about ecological challenges, amplifying diverse voices and indigenous knowledge, and challenging systems that perpetuate both environmental degradation and gender inequality. Typically, before creating a painting or a body of work, I start with research. Looking at patterns in nature and reading, especially about how indigenous peoples have interacted with the land or certain aspects of it that I’m considering engaging with in some of my work. I am heavily inspired by patterns found in the natural world; the infinite details of lichen, the texture of kelp, features found in space, rivers seen from an aerial view. Nature provides endless inspiration. And a portion of my sales go to environmental stewardship nonprofits.
In terms of my current work, being Puerto Rican and Taino, I’m making work in response to the water crisis in Puerto Rico. A lot of my inspiration is coming from looking at ancient Taino water vessels, duhos, and zemis. I’m excited for an upcoming collaboration with glass artist Jaime Guerrero where we’ll be making contemporary Taino water vessels to accompany my work in my upcoming solo show at the Manos Gallery in New Kensington, PA (March 2027, opening date TBD). I’ve also been working on pieces that reflect our region here in Pittsburgh. A recent piece that went viral was my ‘Pittsburgh Primeval’ painting, which imagined an impression of the three rivers and surrounding land before human hands and industry had touched the region. The original sold out immediately, as well as two additional similar pieces, so I made sure to make prints available for those who want this work in their home: https://www.rokitaart.com/products/pittsburgh-primeval-fine-art-print
What’s next?
I’m finally making the leap soon to go full time with my art. After the proven track record of success I’ve seen as an artist this year, I’m excited to finally have the time to truly focus on nothing else but the creativity I have to make the world a better place. This year I also completed my first mural for a private client and will have completed at least 3 by the end of 2026 – one in Pittsburgh, one in NYC, and one in Huntington Beach, California. I’m looking forward to working with more mural clients in the coming years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rokitaart.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rokitaart
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/rokitaart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rokitaart
- Other: https://threads.com/rokitaart
