MAY 9, 2024 GRACE EBERT

“Terracotta.” All images © Sam Rodriguez

Sam Rodriguez sorts his works into three categories: nouns, verbs, and typography. Nouns comprises his portraits that zero in on a singular person and their expressions, while verbs takes a step back to portray figures in action. Typography is more abstract and centers on letterforms and graphics informed by Rodriguez’s early forays into graffiti.

“Flores-Ent”

These classifications help the San José-based illustrator “bring order to the chaos of making art,” freeing him to focus on the stories he wants to tell. Employing bold, chromatic palettes, Rodriguez superimposes symbols, signs, typography, cartoons, and patterns atop his subjects as a means of expression. The frenzied additions visualize the sitters’ unseen preoccupations and interests, whether it be a childhood love for Dragon Ball or verdant, cabbage-like clusters sprouting from a figure’s eyes.[…]

“Song of Wind”

More: Frenzied Symbols and Vibrant Vignettes Overlay Sam Rodriguez’s Figurative Illustrations — Colossal