As part of their Latino Heritage Month celebration, the Bears are collaborating with Adam Belmares, a University of Illinois-Chicago communications major who lives in the Chicagoland area, on a series of stories that will be featured on ChicagoBears.com. For his first piece, Belmares profiles local artist Fedz, who created the Bears' Latino Heritage Month gameday poster.
From Wicker Park to Englewood, Fernando Caldera, better known as Fedz, has left his mark across Chicago through his artwork, which celebrates the people, communities, neighborhoods and culture that shaped him into the mixed-media artist he is today.
As you walk the streets of Chicago's most iconic neighborhoods, you're bound to encounter one of Fedz's vibrant color palettes, showcased in pieces ranging from striking animals to representations of historical figures, each with his own creative twist.
While at a Chicago sign shop on what he thought was an ordinary day, Fedz received a social media message that left him stunned: he was being given the opportunity to take the lead in the design process for the Bears' Latino Heritage Month game Monday night against the Eagles.
The news pleasantly surprised Fedz, but at this point in his career, he felt more confident than ever and ready to get to work.
"The fact that [the Bears] even reached out personally was amazing," Fedz said. "That tells me that I'm doing something right.
"I'm proud of this one."
"It's just that you never thought of yourself doing stuff like this for such a big team. It's an amazing opportunity, and you kind of don't believe it at first, and I'm kind of still in shock about it."
During the 2021 season, Fedz was selected to be one of the artists involved in the collaboration between the Bears and All-Star Press, an art gallery on the city's Northwest Side, for the team's official gameday poster series, which featured 17 limited-edition prints for each game of the season.
With his experience from previous collaborations and versatile artistic style, Fedz, who is of Mexican descent, earned the Bears' trust to incorporate his passion for Latino culture into the Latino Heritage Month gameday poster.
"We chose Fedz because of his diverse abilities ranging from murals to sculptures to illustrations," Bears social media design coordinator Marlon Bennett said. "Although this was a digital project, we felt his range was shown stylistically throughout each piece he's done."
"Going through his portfolio, you can see his pride in both Mexican heritage and his love for Chicago. He delivered a final product that we are all collectively proud of as a team."
Fedz started the two-week project by analyzing a variety of old VHS covers and searching for the retro look he was aiming for, all while making sure to incorporate Latino Heritage Month elements.
"I wanted to keep it subtle as far as the Latino Heritage Month aspect of it," Fedz said. "The texture of the piece visualizes the blood, sweat, and tears that Latinos express in our work ethic."
"I wanted to show that chaotic experience with a grungy texture, but with a really nice end result."
While implementing cultural details to the game poster, Fedz strived to not overshadow crucial Bears components. His passion for drawing animals helped clarify his vision for the final product.
"My favorite part is the bear. Honestly, I just love drawing animals, and to have the chance to do another one for a big team is an amazing opportunity," Fedz said. "I'm very proud of that."
"I wanted to show that gritty line work for the players, the bear, and a grungy texture for the title. I wanted to emphasize that so it gives off that crazy energy that you get at the stadium from the crowd. and for more of a crazy, expressive feeling."
Despite having previously worked with the Bears, the creative freedom Fedz had for this project motivated him like nothing he had experienced before.
"I'm not saying that I'm not proud of the other [collaboration], but for this one, I really put my heart and soul and tears in everything," Fedz said. "I went far beyond what I expected."
"I learned that I need to express myself a little bit more when it comes to these projects. I try to see it from the business aspect, but I wanted to express my work and have creative freedom."
Fedz has always had a creative mindset and the determination to turn his ideas into reality, dating back to the days he lived with his grandmother, who gave him his first set of clay. That gift served as the foundation for his professional career.
"I would make my own toys and figures and just play and have that creative part in me," Fedz said. "Once I started going to school and got exposed to coloring books and markers, I just kept going with that."
Fedz moved to Chicago at age six from Zacatecas, Mexico. Chicago became the place where he developed a deeper love for his craft and started to take his work more seriously.
After his art teachers at Morton East High School in suburban Cicero recognized his potential, they helped him pursue additional artistic opportunities, including a scholarship to attend an art camp at Northern Illinois University in 2009 and working with non-profit organizations.
"My art teachers actually encouraged me to continue pursuing an art career," Fedz said. "I started hustling, doing drawings in high school, just making flowers and stuff for the homies for their girlfriends."
In 2010, a turning point for the self-taught artist came when a friend of his, who taught at Yollocalli Arts Reach in Pilsen (now in Little Village), introduced him to the Chicago art scene. That motivated Fedz to take on bigger projects.
"It blew off from there - I started seeking projects by myself and would paint [my] homies' garages, or even people would just come up to me like, 'Yo, can you paint my business? Can you paint my garage?' and it was all a learning experience," Fedz said.
With those new challenges, Fedz's skill set started expanding to include canvases, digital illustrations, sculptures and murals.
"I tend to shift from one style to another," Fedz said. "I was doing a lot of red and blue patterns, and I became known for that color palette of blues, turquoise and very bright reds."
As Fedz developed his signature style, he began to collaborate with organizations to complete larger projects, including a mural for Titan Walls, the city's largest mural festival, in the West Loop in 2020 and a Chicago Fire FC mural in Pilsen a year later.
As he began dedicating more time to those bigger projects, Fedz's support system encouraged him to dream big and never look back.
For Fedz, reflecting on the inspiration behind his work makes him look back at the sacrifices his family has made for him, which allowed him to chase his dreams to the fullest.
"My parents, my mom, have always been super supportive of my art stuff," Fedz said. "She's always excited to see the projects I'm working on and is always begging me to paint her something for the house."
"She's my number one fan and has always pushed me to pursue something that makes me happy, and that doesn't just focus on the financial aspect of it."
Recently, Fedz's focus has shifted toward wanting to express his Mexican heritage through his art.
"I shifted more of my work into my upbringing in Mexico, and I want to express my culture," Fedz said. "I want to express the fond memories I had with my grandparents and stuff that I used to do as a kid in my pueblo to transition to more of a personal meaning with the same colorful palettes that I use."
"Family is everything in Latino culture, so it's something that I like expressing in my work."
Today, Fedz, who lives in Berwyn, continues to create pieces for major exhibitions and music festivals. In addition to the Bears, he has also collaborated with other professional sports organizations such as the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Fire FC and NASCAR.
Despite his nickname being coined by his high school friends since they believed his name was too long, Fedz's name and contributions to Chicago's art scene have grown beyond what he could've imagined.
His work has carried his influence beyond the streets of Chicago, but no matter how far his art takes him, Fedz continues to represent his Latino heritage and remember where he came from.
For Fedz, Latino Heritage Month is more than just a Bears gameday theme; it's a generational celebration across Chicago that helps unite communities because of their favorite NFL team.
"Latino Heritage Month is a whole gameday identity," Fedz said. "It's about community and bringing people together. It's about that raw energy you capture at the games."
"It's about those families filling those seats from Berwyn, Cicero, Pilsen and the second and third generations of fans who bring that same grit, loyalty and communal pride that define Bears football."
