Based in Baltimore, Rey Carrasquel is a digital artist, filmmaker, musician and writer, to name a few. Born in Venezuela, his first artistic endeavor was classical cello. “From age twelve to twenty one, I studied music professionally. But eventually I grew up and wanted to do something different.” As a result, Rey moved to the states to study filmmaking in New York. “I was twenty two years old when I came here. I wanted to write and act.”
And that he did. Over the next couple of years, Rey created a number of short films – one of which got third place in a Baltimore-based film festival. After his run in the film world, however, he found himself increasingly drawn to the 2D arts.
“I was in a dark spot in my life and painting was the easiest way to express myself, right in that minute. It was kind of like a cry.”
Now, Rey uses found portraits to create distorted, digital paintings. “I try to tell a story in everything that I do. Every piece has a villain or a hero.” Since 2013, his work has been featured in a solo show, promoted on a billboard, and published in a variety of local magazines.
Currently, Rey works twelve hours a day – but that doesn’t stop him from making work. “I feel like I’ve got something to say – through painting, I can express myself.”
To see more of Rey’s work, visit his Facebook page, Reldov.