Gabriel Munguia

I visualize art where our spirit reinvigorates to a higher existence.

WAS THERE A PIVOTAL MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO FOLLOW YOUR PATH AS AN ARTIST?

My words in 1999 in Shanghai at 22 years old, “I was lost before I had no idea what I wanted to do, I just planned to learn as much as possible and see where it took me” I think fate, a series of chance encounters and the right attitude took me where I am. Soon after arriving in Shanghai, I found myself down the catwalk as a fashion model for one of China’s most famous Artists and designers, Chen Yifei. (Born 1946-2005) After the show, I asked him if I could work as an intern i n his studio and his newly formed company. For me, this was awe-inspiring; his mentorship changed the course of my life. I knew then that I would pursue a life as an Artist.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK FOR US?

My paintings are energetic, usually large, filled with abundant color formations, thick application, and abstract landscapes. Some remind me of my childhood, places I visited, songs, or moments of sorrow and happiness. The paintings have harsh brush strokes and rough layers of paint, while the occasional soothingly smooth overlay that conquers and erases chaos.

WHAT DOES YOUR WORK AIM TO SAY?

In my recent artwork, they reveal hope and vitality. It is like taking a journey, getting lost, discovering, and re-framing the vision of the world I see. It charters my odyssey on canvas. I have shared my growing pains, love, loneliness, isolation, joy, excitement, and passion for life. There is a quest for harmony and balance in the universe of the unknown. Lao Tzu said, “The higher the sunrises, the less shadow it casts”

HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR WORK FITS WITHIN SOCIETY IN OUR PRESENT TIMES?

The colors vibrate and tell a story. My sense of color developed during my childhood spent with my extended family at colorful “fiestas” in San Diego, California, and walking through the many colorful Mexican murals in my neighborhood. They were filled with excitement and optimism. So, in the last few years, I have focused on being a harbinger of good news and hope. Whether in China, the US, or my parent’s birthplace, Mexico, I do my best to be engaged in the present and appreciate the simple things in life, that is, to create art that reflects life-affirming energy and allows my intuition to be my guide. Also, throughout many years in China, my art has become a dialogue between East and West, bringing people from all cultural backgrounds together to share a common interest in my art. I have always been fascinated with world cultures since I was a child, and it reflects how I represent my art through pure human emotions. I’ve done my job when viewers respond to one of my paintings and really “feel” it. My Abstract, Figurative, and “Colorless” (black and white) artwork are interconnected and personal but also universal. 

WHEN LOOKING BACK, WHAT ARTWORKS COME TO MIND A THAT MOST RELATE TO YOUR LIFE STORY?

I am a businessman, educator, designer, and Artist. My life story is a bunch of failures, rejections, and successes in my art and business endeavors. But how does that translate into the art I continue to create all these years? It’s a tough question, but I think the artwork most related to my life story is the “Primavera” collection in 2015. The hardships in my business, my depression, and my self-doubt went through my mind then. But when I started the process of painting intuitively, they were turning cheerful, bright, and full of hope. I felt connected to a higher existence and became more spiritual. It was not all “work” but balance, the ying, and the yang.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?

My richly textured abstraction echoes previous expressionistic and figurative works. I think Jackson Pollock’s free painting, especially “Dripping,” intrigued me, his artwork explored the unconscious, and he created a dynamic form of visual energy of his “inner world.” Pollock’s use of textures and distorted forms of seemingly random colors has influenced how my artwork appears; loose and instinctual style. My other big influence is from my mentor Marc Antoine Squarciafichi (born 1943) from 2009-2012 in his Shanghai Atelier. I had the privilege to learn his technique and took inspiration from his “Japanese Mythology” exhibitions. He conveyed the Japanese spiritual culture and traditions in his flora and natural scenery. My paintings are spiritual, and many are conveyed in abstract-floral scenes, combined with my figurative characters intertwined playfully.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

A brush does not limit my approach to painting. I often use my bare hands or a newfound tool to create the final result. Some pieces take many months, and others take years; I usually put them away for some time, take them out, add a layer then put them away again. I usually work on different art styles, each with its area, at different stages, so it’s never-ending. I don’t have any rules, sometimes, I know what colors I will use, and sometimes I don’t. There must be spontaneous moments and movement; life is movement, always on the go, and so must the painting. Painting, for me, is an intuitive, creative process; I want people to immerse their spirit i n the painting.

WHAT VISUAL REFERENCES DO YOU DRAW UPON IN YOUR WORK?

I took visual references from the “Sakura” cherry blossoms in China and Japan in the last few years. I am mesmerized by their delicate beauty, representing hope and rebirth. Some of my artwork has elements of the Cherry Blossom in abstract formations.

ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS?

I am opening my new Atelier in Shanghai with an art show based on my new figurative artwork i n June 2023. I am also working on a children’s illustration book.

Visit this artist’s website and discover more art by our Star Of The Week Artist!

www.mg-arte.com