Featured Artist of the Month : Roman Arevalo Dec. 2012 | TheArtList - Art & Photo Calls for Visual Artists and Photographers.

Roman Arevalo

Miami, Florida

Roman Arevalo was born on 1989 in Miami, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2012. Recently, Arevalo was artist in residence at the Contemporary Artists Center, Troy, New York. His paintings have been exhibited and collected nationally including Miami, Baltimore, and New York.

How and when did you start creating art?

I started sketching and making miniature clay sculptures at a very young age as a private hobby. Eventually, I enrolled and graduated at the New World School of the Arts high school in Miami, where I then decided to pursue art as a career.

What media and genres do you work in?

I work primarily in the medium of acrylic painting, however I am also exploring sculptural possibilities with the work.

Who or what are your influences?

A major influence to the content of my work is my relationship to my brother, who is autistic, where I acquired sensitivity for body language and social behavior. I am drawn to visceral paintings and sculptures - one of my favorite artists to study is Manolo Millares. I also have an interest in psychology and philosophy of identity.

What was your inspiration for Stray?

I wanted to explore the idea that the self is structured by culture and yet organic and primal at the same time. There is an interest in how these forces collide in the self. My inspiration came from a desire to explore this experience of internal conflict through the gesture in which the painting is made.

Describe your creative process?

I sometimes sketch or write about my ideas before I begin a painting. However, my paintings mostly evolve through a degree of uncertainty and physical struggle with the material. I often include rope, insulating foam and fasteners to form three-dimensional, mixed media paintings. This is a destructive-constructive process that bears forth a means of expression through my engagement with the material.

What are you working on currently?

I am currently working to develop a series of paintings that will explore a metaphorical dialogue between the material and found objects. This is a more process-oriented focus in my work.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

My goals are to exhibit my work to broader audiences and meet/collaborate with international artists. It is my hope to earn acceptance in residency programs to carry out new projects. I would also like to complete a Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA).