spotlight

{RJ Gualberto}

Our dear friend, RJ Gualberto, is one very talented person and we are so grateful that he was gracious enough to accept our request to spotlight him here on Art in Circulation. And we couldn’t be more excited about him being the first one.

RJ is a student here at BYU-Hawaii from the Philippines. He is double majoring in Painting (2D Fine Arts) and Graphic Design.

RJ started crafting his artistic skills when he was just in grade school, he had his first sketchbook by the time he had graduated elementary school. Back in fourth grade he noticed that his uncle had a secret sketchbook hidden away but RJ didn’t let that deter him, he snuck in and studied that coveted sketchbook and tried to imitate what his uncle created. It was his uncle’s works of art that first inspired RJ to be what he is today.

The inspiration didn’t stop there; today there are many artists that inspire him. Mainly the ones that come up with new ideas and new ways to paint, he likes to try and incorporate some of their ideas into his own works of art. One of those artists is, the painter, Carl Heinrich Bloch, who creates Renaissance themed depictions of Christ (Pictured Right: Bloch's Gethsemane). Although Bloch is not a member of the LDS church, many of his pieces are used by the church. RJ actually first discovered Bloch's work in an LDS Church magazine. 

Just as Bloch has a particular style, medium, and topic, RJ is particular as well. He loves to draw and paint the expressions of the human face, mainly with the use of oil paints.  His works are inspired by the traditional process of drawing and painting of the old masters and he is now, still exploring that technique along with contemporary concepts of hyperrealism. Jeremy Geddes and Brad Kunkl are two contemporary realist artists who have also inspired RJ to pursue his talents. He states that he feels more confident painting on large scale canvases and claims it's more fun as well. He likes to challenge himself in each painting by trying something new or working on aspects that are difficult for him. Constantly moving toward improvement.

When asked what one part of his craft he would like to one-day master, he promptly responded, “Drawing.” Out of every aspect of art he feels it is the most important, for it is the skeleton of every painting. (Below: The Iron Rod [charcoal on paper]).

Everyone who has seen RJ and what he has created thus far, knows that he is certainly going places. In the future, RJ wants to use his talents to teach kids who want to fulfill their dreams of being an artist. He mainly wants to focus on kids that are high school aged.  He feels that this is the time when we decide to stick to, or neglect, our gifts. Creative outlets for art study are, at times, hard to find and pressures on these youth make it harder. He wants to inspire his students to pursue their talents, not lay them by the wayside for something the world deems more profitable.

Along with this inspiration, we asked RJ what other advice he might have for aspiring artists. He told us that if you truly want to be a full time artist you can’t expect 100% success right after high school, but he encourages them not to give up. Keep practicing. Keep learning.

For kicks and giggles we asked RJ one last question: “If you could master any other type of art form what would it be? (Ex. Dance, Photography, Clothing Design, Music)” He stated that he would like to learn more about the Multi Media aspects of art. Such as Animation, Video, and Graphic Design (which goes perfectly with his major). We at Art in Circulation believe that he will succeed in this goal as well as every other goal he may set for himself.

RJ, without a doubt, is going to go on and do great things with his talents and his life. Just like his uncle, RJ will inspire many with his breathtaking gifts and wonderful personality.

                                                     Mahi (work in progress)                                       To This End Was I Born (Oil on Canvas 30x40")