Sunglasses. Alligator. Hello, Chucho! What do these three things have in common, you ask? They can all be found in beautiful murals on the outside walls of Eclectic Eye. Beginning in 2015, each mural was painted by a different artist. Chucho, created by professional artist Mrbbaby of California, is the newest mural that has made it to Memphis.
Chucho meets Memphis
Picture it: May 2020. One of Eclectic Eye’s other mural artists, Michael Roy (aka Birdcap) reached out to Eclectic Eye to ask if we would help him bring a new artist, Mrbbaby, to the Memphis art scene.
Mrbbaby would have to paint over an existing mural to make Chucho happen, as we had two Birdcap murals on the south and east walls of the Eclectic Eye building. After a flight to Memphis and just five hours in production, Chucho was complete. It became part of the ever-growing Memphis art community while Mrbbaby made her Bluff City debut!
Mrbbaby, The Artist
Mrbbaby, also known as Michelle Ruby, is the professional artist who created Chucho. Born and raised in San Diego, she currently spends her time living in both San Diego and Los Angeles while raising her daughter. As a professional artist, Mrbbaby is known for using bright and cheerful colors on canvas and murals, drawing inspiration from her childhood obsession with children’s books such as Where the Wild Things Are. Her artwork has been shown from coast to coast. She completed her first mural in Palm Desert, California and has shown her work in Miami and now Memphis. Michelle Ruby’s artist name derives from her initials, and friends were already calling her Bbaby, so Mrbbaby became her catchy name in the art world.
Why art?
One of our core values at Eclectic Eye is to participate in our community, and one of the many ways we do that is by showing our love for art and supporting the super-talented artists behind the work. Displaying art on the outside of the building allows the art gallery to extend outside for everyone’s enjoyment.
Eclectic Eye also displays local artwork by artists inside the store, located above the curated eyewear collections, which are also available for sale. The art inside the store rotates every couple of months, so there is always something fresh to see and a new artist to discover.
Follow the artists
Come see Chucho by Mrbbaby! You can follow her on Instagram and visit her website, mrbbabyart.com, to view some really amazing pieces. And while you’re here at Eclectic Eye, take some photos of Birdcap’s “Bait” mural and Kyle Taylor’s “Forming Function” mural. When you stop by, don’t forget to tag us in your photo.
Come see us!
Learn more about our new mural in the Daily Memphian and Memphis Flyer.
