Leyton, who believes that “knowledge is nothing, if not shared,” has also been participating since the start of this year in ongoing painting workshops for inmates at Costa Rica’s La Reforma prison, through artist Juan Carlos Chavarría’s Foundation for Transformation in Violent Times. The project is particularly meaningful to Leytón because he was once an inmate, too, and discovered his own love for painting while behind bars after meeting artist José Fernández and eventually building a painting workshop at La Reforma. He continued to follow his passion after leaving prison and has found success.
By being part of this project, Leytón wants to support the men at La Reforma and show them there are ways to achieve their dreams after they serve their time.
“Art in general is a state of freedom,” he says. “Man has always sought to make art. The point is to give him the space to make art; if the person feels that he has that opportunity, he will do it.”
Source: The Tico Times
