Anthony Pabillano

Though I create works in various traditional dry and wet media, the medium I prefer is paper. My love of paper began in high school with a Matisse-inspired cut-out project and when I used wallpaper scraps to create a replica of Madonna-and-Child. These two undertakings—cutting blocks of paper in organic and geometric forms per the Matisse project, and cutting into paper to convey the contour lines of the Madonna-and-Child image—form the foundation of the style of paper art I developed back in 2010. My method of conveying the three-dimensionality of form involves cutting blocks of paper and layering them, with the layers of paper in gradations of color that are in turn cut in such a way that follow the contours of the different values on the form.

Ever since I learned to formally draw, I have always been intrigued by the human form. This fascination led to my exploring various aspects of the human experience through my portraiture work, from ideas relating to self and identity, to topics about diversity. My current pursuit is to visually celebrate the diversity and the stories of the people I meet whose walks of life all led to the multiculturally-, multinationally-, and multi-ethnically-rich city of Houston, Texas—the place I now call home.

For more information about the artist, please visit his website.