As infants, the first things we latch on to are faces — those of our parents, our siblings, our grandparents. Even in art, we are drawn to faces because they act like mirrors to our own emotions, our humanity. It’s a feeling that Genzel San Jose can relate to. The paintings of this self-taught artist revolve mainly around female faces.

His figures evoke joy and frustration as they stare mutely from their frames. Visitors to his first solo exhibit at ARTablado at Robinsons Galleria until 31 October can view his creations made using mixed media.

“Genzel works mainly with acrylic paints but what sets him apart is his use of unconventional mediums like snake skin, fabric and gold leaf,” says Cookie G. Marquez, RLC’s corporate PR manager and project lead for RLC’s ARTablado program.  

In using these materials, the artist strives to convey concepts like feminism, humanity and equality. For his first solo exhibit, San Jose’s paintings showcase elements like sharp contours and flat colors, accentuated by gold accents and intricate brush strokes. 

The full-time artist, who is in his mid-20s, has participated in numerous art exhibitions and continues to participate different art shows, and online platforms. 

“I’ve recently dabbled in selling merchandise which are inspired by my paintings including tote bags, button pins, wallets and plates,” shares San Jose.

This has been San Jose’s childhood passion as he continues to express his interest in art or anything related to it. He added that he used to make his own toys or would paint on masks.

“I really enjoy painting faces —especially female faces — because I find them very expressive. Women have eyes that speak volumes,” San Jose said. 

The young artist recently tried his hand at customization. He takes miniature vinyl figures and jazzes them up to spectacular effect. On his Facebook page, San Jose uploads pics of his customized pieces updated with acrylic paints, resin clay, canvas cloth, rhinestones and vinyl coating.  

He’s thankful to ARTablado for taking a chance on him and on so many other young and upcoming artists: “When I didn’t have much experience and confidence to show my work, ARTablado was the first gallery to give me that opportunity. It was through them that I experienced the joy of seeing my art on display. It was also where I got the chance to meet different but like-minded artists whom I now consider as family.”

San Jose looks up to a disparate range of artists like BenCab, Heart Evangelista and Reen Barrera “because most of their works are about diversity, feminism and childhood and I those things define my interests.” His artistic style continues to evolve as he matures. San Jose recalled how he explored using different kinds of media and techniques during the pandemic.

“I tried realism, made fan art, and remade famous art works but eventually returned to my older sketches. That was when I decided to focus on expressing the ideas that I found hard to verbalize. I gained perspective and learned to adapt to changes in the art scene,” he said. 

The artist chose the title Strokes of Identity because at one point he considered stopping until friends urged him to continue, reminding him of his goal as an artist.

“My goal is to express myself and remind them of the importance of seeking beauty in your own identity,” he said.