THROUGH THE EYES OF JUAN RAÚL | A TRAVÉS DE LOS OJOS DE JUAN RAÚL
THROUGH THE EYES OF JUAN RAÚL | A TRAVÉS DE LOS OJOS DE JUAN RAÚL
Through the Eyes of Juan Raúl A Través de los Ojos de Juan Raúl by / de Susan Campbell
This young Panamanian artist is capturing global attention with his unique vision.
Este joven artista panameño está captando la atención mundial con su visión distinta.
A Kaleidoscopic Character A study in contrasts – impish and energetic one moment, then thoughtful and mature the next – Juan Raúl Díaz Fábrega is as simple and as complicated as his art. He epitomizes the expression “old soul in a young body” and at only 23, he’s already making a big impression in the art world.
Carácter Caleidoscópico Estudio de contrastes: chistoso y enérgico un momento, se vuelve pensativo y maduro al siguiente. Juan Raúl Díaz Fábrega es tan simple y tan complicado como su arte. Es más maduro que su edad y ya a los 23, está provocando gran impresión en el mundo del arte.
Art as Therapy Born in l986 in Panama City, Juan credits his creativity to his great-grandmother’s and mother’s love of painting, though his artistic temperament often caused him to act up in school. Fortunately, his teachers spotted his natural drawing talent early on and harnessed his passion for painting as therapy. Juan says, “Art saved my life, I had no place to put my negative energies, but peace came with painting.” While studying marketing at Universidad Latina, Juan worked different jobs, but the constant call of the canvas refused to be ignored so he began painting full-time. By 2006, at only 20 years of age, Juan had many successful exhibits including ones at Panama’s La Casona de San Felipe Bruges, the Arlene Lachman Galería, and Miami’s PIAG Museum.
Arte Terapia Nacido en l986 en la Ciudad de Panamá, Juan atribuye su creatividad al amor por las pinturas de su bisabuela y su madre, aunque su temperamento artístico le dio con frecuencia problemas de conducta en clases. Afortunadamente, sus profesores descubrieron tempranamente su talento natural para el dibujo y aprovecharon su pasión por la pintura como terapia. “El arte salvó mi vida”, comenta Juan, “No sabía cómo gastar mi energía negativa, pero la pintura me trajo paz.” Mientras estudiaba mercadeo en la Universidad Latina, Juan desempeñó varios trabajos, pero el llamado constante de la tela no dejaba que lo ignorara, 왘
Hunting for Reaction Juan has an obsession with “windows of the soul”, especially those belonging to the female gender. His well-received exhibition “The Hunting” concentrated on women in the Middle Eastern conflict. Though the work is haunting, it also represents hope. Juan says, “There’s something in women’s eyes that always reflects an intangible strength no matter what the circumstances.” His message is also, “Though the world can be bloody, it’s still beautiful, and we should strive to set things right together.” Conversations with the Canvas Beyond the eyes, Juan’s signature is larger than life formats (often four feet by five feet) inspired by the works of Jackson Pollock (his personal idol) and Andy Warhol. Juan 왘 Domingo de Iglesia
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Photos courtesy / Fotos cortesía Juan Raúl Díaz Fábrega
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