The first time I chanced upon Raymond Guevarra‘s body of work, I instantly thought of the random Sunday afternoons I spend helping my parents clean up our small stock room at home. Filled to the brim with age-old dusty boxes of broken doll legs and music boxes that already sound like a screech, our stock room has always been a wonderful space of thinking and feeling, nonetheless.
This emotion of getting your face covered with remnants of the past went the same for me with Raymond’s artworks. Juggling a myriad of art forms such as mixed media, kinetic sculpture, and painting, he captures our busy minds, makes us curious, and soaks us with nostalgia of things we never knew we had been yearning.
Currently pursuing a Fine Arts degree at Technological University of the Philippines Manila, this Valenzuela-based artist tells us the story behind his exuberant collection:
You’re pursuing many art forms at once: kinetic sculpture, painting, and mixed media. What inspired you to do all of these?
My works are inspired by my experiences and pop culture. I often use my childhood superheroes and characters from ’90s cartoon TV shows in my mixed media. My accessories are also inspired by the anime Parasite Kiseiju. In my paintings, I use a style that looks like a combination of patterns, alien-like creatures, flora, and fauna. [They] somehow look like they’re viewed from a microscope, forming an otherworldly colorful space.
As for the accessories you make, what kind of people do you imagine wearing your creations?
I imagine people from the music industry wearing my accessories such as Bamboo, Rico Blanco and many more OPM legends.
From all the art forms you do, which one do you feel the closest with?
I think it’s my paintings. I can express myself and thoughts through this media [better]. Since I was a kid, drawing has been my best friend. I drew on books, phone directories, and walls. To be happy, all I need is a crayon and something to draw on.
How do you decide on the things to include in a mixed media piece?
[The objects I include] remind the viewer of their childhood. I use late ’80s and ’90s things in it, especially toys. It somehow plays in the way that the viewers stare for seconds, suddenly smiles, point at that particular toy and start telling stories about their childhood.
When I see those “signs”, I will know ahh, batang ’90s ‘yan.
Are there any specific artists you take inspiration from whenever you do your art?
There are many artists, local and abroad, that inspire me–[Ronald] Ventura, Dex Fernandez, Banksy, and many more. I love their art and the ideas in it.
Follow Raymond’s art ventures on Instagram at @raymond_guev. If you’d like to see his work for yourself, visit his upcoming group exhibit at ArtKai Gallery, Laguna this coming December.
This story is part of our #SeenOnScout series, which puts the spotlight on young creatives and their body of work. Raymond and many other creatives shared their work at our own community hub at Scout Family and Friends. Join the Scout Family & Friends Facebook group right here, and share your work with us in the group or through using #SeenOnScout on Twitter and Instagram.
Interview by Jelou Galang
