Art Locale founders Rojan Jafari and Cal McKinley first met in Turkey, where they connected over a mutual passion for local art and Istanbul creatives. Though they grew up in completely different cultures, art was a shared factor in both of their backgrounds. 

 

Growing up in Iran, Rojan was exposed to art from a young age through her family and studied animation at Tehran University. After moving to Istanbul, she began to discover and absorb the city's rich artistic culture. Balancing her time between painting and 3D animation, she quickly established herself within the art community. Now working full time for a Turkish 3D animation studio, she wanted another way to connect with the burgeoning art community and contribute to its development. 

 

Cal is originally from San Francisco. He found success as a video journalist and photographer early on, traveling across fifty-four countries to immerse himself in various cultures and document his experiences. An online sensation, Cal’s work has been viewed over 70 million times in the four years since he embarked on his journey. Together, they comprise Art Locale, their side project that blossomed into a passion.