After Losing Chester Bennington, Mike Shinoda Discovered That 'Art Therapy Is Real'

Following the death of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington in July 2017, the band’s co-founder Mike Shinoda didn’t slow down. Instead, the 41-year-old got to work on Post Traumatic, his first album under his own name, which he released in June, as well as a renewed outlet of expression: painting. “I was using [music and painting] as a diary. There’s something therapeutic, but also autobiographical, about both,” he says. Shinoda, who graduated from the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., in 1998 (where he studied illustration and graphic design), created a series of 10 evocative paintings that explore his love of street art -- one of which he used for his album cover. He credits his creative output with playing a significant role in helping him process the loss of Bennington, which is why he has continued to create even while on his first solo tour. Since the tour’s kickoff on Oct. 10, Shinoda has offered VIP mural workshops ahead of each show. “Art therapy is a very real thing,” he says. “It’s a phenomenal tool.”

“Conceptually, some of the pieces are more of a Rorschach test,” says Shinoda of his new series, which includes “Visions” (above). “They weren’t intended to be highly analytical or communicate a specific story, but I know what I was thinking about while I was making them, and it’s there inside the piece. You can just feel it.”

Shinoda has long been inspired by anime and comics, and cites visual artists Haruki Murakami, James Jean and KAWS as inspirations. His recent work, which includes “Connected” (above), uses mixed media: collages of photos, ripped paper, drawings and painting. He then adds layers of acrylic, ink, charcoal and spray paint.

The album artwork for Post Traumatic.

This article originally appeared in the Nov. 3 issue of Billboard.