Chilean artist : Gabriel Reyes
Gabriel Reyes: ´´I like to see my work more as a craft than art, and myself as a craftsman rather than an artist.´´
Ángel Gabriel Reyes Vergara is an artwork artist from Santiago, Chile who is living in Thailand. His artworks are mainly in private colections in Chile, but in Europe as well the EEUU. Right now he is working for on a solo private exhibition that will take place in New York in September of 2023.
Gabriel Reyes: First of all thank you for this interview, and for showing interest in my work.
What motivated you to start painting, drawing, and then to keep doing it?
I guess it all starts in the early childhood. There is somehow the intrinsic human expression, perhaps a need? of leaving a trace, a creative tendency that leads to somehow discover that we can indeed interact and affect this world outside in which we find ourselves in. I always felt some fascination for it yet together with some sort of bitter frustration, this is because of not being able to achieve what I had in mind. I had high expectations and the art that I admired was something beyond my capacity. But I was a child and not trained in arts. Those feelings remain even now sometimes, since the old masters overwhelming prodigy appear to be so far. At the same time, every drawing, every etching, sulpture or painting, is an ocean of knowledge, still, nothing compares to the teacher-student process of learning.
Tell me about the feelings and ideas come into your art.
My work is you could say, mostly one of spontaneous expression. I never have a definite plan, only vague ideas, and sometimes not even so. That’s why it is not rare to find myself in front of the empty surface of a paper or a canvas with an existential crisis haha. But then I gather some courage and start with some lines, sometimes abstract, looking for a form, a tone, and other times I begin with some particular object or feauture of a body and the rest is somehow a natural consequence of the previous action.
About the word art, I like to see my work more as a craft than art and myself as a craftsman rather than an artist. With this, I take a step aside from this pedestal idea of ‘art’ and ‘artist’. I make my drawings, in a certain quality and with love. I don’t intend to change the world or to sell any idea. The further I can ago about my work is in a technical, descriptive way or to say something about me and the creative process, but no more than that. The rest is too much of speculation.
What kind of images reveals your art?
I see and feel them as oniric, archetypal. there is something mysterious about them, despite being images from imagination, unconsciously brought, they look alive and many times realistic.
What message do you wish to tell to the world through your art?
I do not feel I have any particular message to give. Actually, for a long time I found that I didn’t have much to say at all… specially about myself. Individuals can be a beautiful thing, but what I find more interesting is universal, and it does not come from a private agenda or need to express of a personality point of view, an individual, in this case, me. This creative process, or maybe we could say, this mysterious expression from the subtle to the gross is something that I could not claim is my own, that I am doing it. I feel more as a filter. Of course there are my images, my memories, my personal experiences. This gives this creative forces, some personal fragance, but I could not say that I draw or paint exactly what I want in the way I want, since my process is more a spontaneous action than a already designed thing.
Regarding you living in Thailand, what are the things here that inspire you be to create art?
The inspiration I could say is nature and the peaceful and gentle life around, the slow pace in which things happen… the ocean and the people you see around. I have found that Thai people are very proud, this in the better sense of the word, they know their worth and it seems like no one could threaten their dignity. They relate in a very horizontal way with everyone. They are strong and sensible at the same time. I admire how they work, how they greet you. Despite having such an ancient culture, they just see a human in front, no more no less. I appreciate that fondly.
As you know, Thailand is a country rich in tradition, culture and histories. In the visual field, which art category in Thailand is most inspiring for your art?
I cannot say that particular things of the world inspires my work directly, but they inspire me as a person. The rich experiences I have in contact with such a rich culture, enrich me, and somehow that will inevitable pervade my work and life, but it will not necessarily become obvious and evident in my work. But the sculptures are sublime and also traditional dresses. The architecture, old and new alike. I like fisherman villages as well as ancient constructions.
Where can the people find your art to be appreciated and acquired? Dearest Waleska, I am working on creating a website and will send it to you as soon as possible. I can give you my instagram for now – @_kallfurayen_
Something about you, you never have told before.
Beside art, I have been a student of ancient philosophy in India, living with monks, exploring the beautiful old philosophical texts and practices related to it. This, forms part of my cosmovision, though not as a religion, but as a way to see, contemplate life, the world and myself.
How many years have you been a visual artist?
I would say that I was born with this interest. Like many kids, I spent most if my childhood drawing, and enjoying a certain type of visual art, especially the ones full of detail and with rich tonal work. Somehow I have a sculptoric interest and approach for drawing and painting. I was always in awe with Albrecht Dürer copper engravings. Like this I was very much into art until my 15th birthdand was always an amateur self-taught craftsman. At that point I quit art for some years and only took up a pencil again around age 22, then I started my formal training at 24. Since then I have been working on it, with some gaps in between, related to my philosophy studies mentioned before.
Define your art.
If I am allowed to say something about the word art. As a craftsman averse to an artist, I can take a step aside from this pedestal idea of ‘art’ and ‘artist’. I make my drawings, in a certain quality and with love. I don’t intend to change the world or to sell any idea. The further I can ago about my work is in a technical, descriptive way or to say something about me and the creative process, but no more than that. The rest is too much of speculation. Of course, for the sake of understanding each other and transactional purpose, I don’t mind in using the word art.
Coming back the your question, my work is mostly spontaneous. I never plan too much, I take a pencil and start making lines, tones, and things begin to appear. I like to attain concrete images, somehow real, despite being from imagination and not responding in many cases to real anatomy or beings. But it is also something more than a plan, I can’t help it, it is like the drawing wants to be like that.
I feel that my work has something in common with the symbolist artist, but to be honest, I don’t like labels, I just want every individual to have their own fresh unconditioned experience with my work, so for it to speak and express itself. Therefore, if it can be defined in any way, it would be in this way. Another interesting exercise, could be to ask people about it, what they see, feel how they experience it. They might have way more interesting things to tell than me.
Send a message to our readers.
Thank you for taking the time to read this interview. If I may say something, it is that, never doubt in learning anything new that you want, or that you think is not worth it because of your age or a lack of skills. I see art or any discipline, for the sake of self-discovery and not as a means to an end. If you want to learn to play the piano, go for it, even if you are 100 years old. Same with art, philosophy, or anything that makes your heart beat.
