johnathan romero

about contact cv find me here words only lead to more words

A self portrait is ever-changing. My artistry explores the self as a distorted concept. When my artwork is viewed, I seek to curate a space in which people can interpret it in a way that ties it delicately to their own cultures, lived experiences, and interpretations, not unlike a Rorschach test. I use various methods, usually illustration and collage, to create scenes of the melancholic and narrow. My use of mixed media allows me to corroborate different aspects of the world around us, such as pop culture, fashion, and music, severing the barrier between my artistic world and whats outside of it, expressing my love for which is outside of myself, a love letter to the personal obsessions of my childhood. My illustrations consist of portraits and posed figures, with a focus on describing emotion through their facial expressions and body language. To linger in the space between what makes something realistic and idealistic, somewhere between a photograph, fashion design, and subliminal messaging, artworks that are felt more than they are seen.

Sad song on my own stereo, 2025 18 x 24' coloured pencil charcoal and ink
I've got a weapon and it ain't a gun, 2025 9 x 12' mixed media
Self portrait, 2025 42 x 9.14" charcoal
Mar de cielo, 2024 9 x 12' coloured pencil and ink
Doctor & patient, 2024 9 x 12' mixed media
Marjorie Grace, 2024 9 x 12' mixed media
I'm right here, 2024 5.5 x 8.5" coloured pencil and ink
Out the window, 2024 18 x 24' charcoal
Untitled, 2024 18 x 24' coloured conte
Ink still life, 2024 18 x 24' india ink
Bust study, 2024 18 x 24' charcoal
Fabric study, 2024 18 x 24' coloured conte
Skull study, 2024 18 x 24' white charcoal
The liar, 2024 6 x 7" mixed media
Angel box, 2023, mixed media
Slow news day, 2023 7 x 6" mixed media