Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Cajigas-Arbelo.
Angel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born in Puerto Rico to a humble family. We moved to the United States meanwhile I was 5 years old at the time. As a child I always drew on pages and doodled in class. Growing up I held unto art as a form of expression and realized that I could develop the skill even further. In high school I took art classes not just to fulfill requirements but also because I enjoyed creating art. I took advantage of these courses to learn about art history, different art forms, mediums, techniques, and how to grow as an artist.
Throughout those years I had struggled with the loss of a family member very dear to me, my grandmother. To cope with her loss, I drew a portrait of her. This took me a while to do, but helped me express my emotions, as well as love and respect for her. Art became my refuge whenever I was dealing with personal issues. I experimented and started to develop my preference of style.
In 2016, senior year in high school; my professor introduced us to a challenging project. We dived in headfirst to creating paintings. We had a set due date to have 3 to 4 paintings completed. Meanwhile painting and experimenting, I also worked on a painting at home. The humor in this project is, that even though I created three paintings in class, it was my self-portrait that I worked at home that obtained a Scholastic Art and Writing Award Silver key for the category of painting.
The Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Award show was a turning point for me. I was thrilled to have my painting recognized and acknowledged. That is when I knew, I could achieve more as an artist. Towards the end of senior year, the Senior Studio class had its annual art show at the Artist’s Exchange in Cranston, and my paintings along with drawings were on exhibition.
However, after high school I did not stop creating art. Instead I kept creating and developing my skills independently. Two years passed, and I was given the opportunity to show my artwork at the University of Rhode Island gallery located at its Providence campus in the month of June. Following that gallery, currently I have part of my Mental Health collection on exhibition at the New Hope Art Gallery located in Cranston RI, until the month of November 2018. In November, I will be showing my entire Mental Health collection illustrating mental health illness from the perspective of someone who struggles with it.
My goal as a surrealist artist, is not only to just create beautiful and dreamy art. The main goal is to communicate a story and a message that the viewer can remember. The goal is to speak for silenced communities, and people who do not have a voice. I express what cannot be expressed through words, and create a visual that embodies all words. Surrealism offers the opportunity for me to explore a plethora of forms in which I can express themes and ideas in my artwork. This is my motivation as an artist.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Primarily I create drawings and acrylic paintings. I work with graphite pencils, charcoal, and pastels for drawings. I use acrylic paints at the moment, in hopes to explore and paint with oils as time goes on. I work with different size canvases and I am not hesitant to try new techniques and creative paths in my work. I am a surrealist artist and I portray themes of nature, the human mind, and perception in my artwork. I admire artists like Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo who created art in this style. Both artists experienced obstacles in their lives and used art to express themselves unapologetically.
The primary goal for me as an artist is to create art that communicates a story. I want my art to speak for itself when it hangs on a wall or in the possession of someone. My goal is to provoke minds to think and question what I have created. I want a discussion to start when my art is seen. There are communities that do not have a voice, and my goal is to create art that speaks for them. My art has to evoke a feeling or thought in each individual. This drives me to create art that is raw yet beautiful. I create art that speaks when words will not suffice for a feeling or a theme. I believe visuals can explain more than just words.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
As an artist, I define success as being able to communicate a message through art and having people respond to it positively as well as negatively. A painting can be a painting but if it does not evoke a feeling, it will be overlooked and forgotten. I also define success as an artist when an audience can distinguish your work aside from others easily. No two artists are the same, and my art is not made to be the same as another artist. Artists have different backgrounds and different perceptions on how to show their work. As an artist, I believe success is found when art is unique and stands out amongst the crowd of artwork. Without forgetting, that an artist is successful when they can create art that is sold, which in turn keeps the artist creating and funds their craft and practice.
For success, an artist must be consistent and persevering. It is easy to give up and stop creating when people are not buying your work. Artists put time and soul into art. An artist must be consistent and create when they do not feel like painting or drawing. The artist must be consistent to develop their technique and continue making great art. An artist must be persevering through negative feedback and critiques. The successful artist will persevere through hardships and dedicate time to their art. To become a successful artist takes consistency and perseverance. Dedicate time and patience to reap success and its benefits. Do not give up at all!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Anyone can easily see my work on Instagram or on Facebook @angelsfineart and contact me through email at angelsfas28@gmail.com for updates on gallery exhibitions. Currently, I have 7 artworks on exhibition at the New Hope Art Gallery located at 1070 Cranston St. Cranston, RI 02920. This exhibitions runs until the month of November 2018. In the same gallery, I will be showing my entire Mental Health Collection in the month of November, 2018. Also, at the University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus located on 80 Washington St. Providence, RI 02903; in the month of September I will be showing my art, along with other artists for the theme “Peace”.
My artwork is available for purchase and seeking new homes! The best way people can support my work is primarily coming to the gallery exhibitions, giving me feedback, critique, and buying my work. This also includes spreading the word, so my art can reach more people and therefore more communities. I stay in contact with all my supporters and invite them to the exhibitions ahead of time!
Contact Info:
- Website: Etsy : AngelsFineArtShop
- Phone: (401)692-3959
- Email: angelsfas28@gmail.com
- Instagram: angelsfineart
- Facebook: angelsfineart
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