Isaac Pelayo parlayed his experience working at Disney’s Ink and Paint Department into a means of developing his own unique style of painting, reminiscent of classical portraiture but filled with 21st-century imagery.

Rubens, Velázquez, and Rembrandt as well as graffiti legend Banksy inspire Pelayo's paintings. He depicts pop culture icons—from Tupac Shakur to Frida Kahlo—in photorealistic portraits, often imbuing them with a third eye. These images have earned Pelayo widespread attention on Instagram, where he already achieved fame as a popular tattoo artist.

Pelayo continues to riff on Renaissance motifs, fusing cherubic angels and saints with dripping yellow smiley faces for heads. His surreal portraits have been featured in Forbes and Business Insider magazines and have been collected by celebrities like Sean “Diddy” Combs. Pelayo has exhibited at museums including the Museum of Latin American Art and the Leon Trotsky House Museum.