“I always think positive.”
Paul Zimmerman in conversation with Joey Cruz Margarejo
Paul Zimmerman: You are a firmly abstract artist. What inspires you to create your paintings?
Joey Cruz Margarejo: My everyday life is inspiration, I believe that the whole world is a a big canvas .every morning that I woke up is a big inspiration.my environment, people that I encountered, the scenery, sunlights, stars, air, mountains, water, clouds, night and day is an art itself. I believe that every artist should be free. Being fee and allowing me to do and paint is my biggest inspiration.
PZ: What is your background?
JCM: I came from an ordinary big family with no one into arts, an environment that almost everybody knows each other, everything should explain to anyone, typical farm people. I have 7 sisters and 3 brothers until now they don’t understand how I became an artist.
PZ: Your were born in the Philippines and live in Canada. How does your multicultural experience influence your art?
JCM: Moving to North America (Canada) is one of the best decisions that I ever had in my life, this is where I found myself I explored more without boundaries, my arts were recognized and appreciated, more venues to showcase my arts, no need to follow traditional arts, meeting different kind of ethnicity and culture helps me more to understand every individual, it helps me more to be out of the box creating any arts without explanation, a big inspiration for me.
PZ: What is your artistic process?
JCM: I may not be a good artist but I have a hearth, emotions, souls spirits, putting all that in my canvasI only used two brushes and these brushes speaks a thousand words, creates a thousand emotions, touches a thousand souls and feel a thousand heart.
Serenity, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 40” x 30″
PZ: You work in various sizes. Which format do you prefer?
JCM: Most of my works are vertical, had some horizontal in my past works, and now working different sizes and planning to do experiments in the future, like elongated or round canvasses.
PZ: Which artists you were influenced by?
JCM: I was influenced by my best friend Mike Austria and his father Tam Austria, both a well known in the Philippines,Vincent Van Gogh for me is the greatest, I’ve known Mona Liza by da Vinci at a young age, the very first painting that I saw in a book. I loved the ceiling of Sistine Chapel even though I didn’t know who is Michelangelo was. For whatever reason none of my works are similar to them. Even my clients were surprised that they were my influences but none of my works are similar to them.
PZ: Where did you study art?
JCM: I don’t study arts I’m just watching my best friend and his father. So I considered myself a self taught artist and everything comes from heart and my two brushes, my best companions.
PZ: What are you working on now?
JCM: Im working on a different pieces right now preparing for coming shows Artexpo NYC, L.A, Monaco Yatch Show, Chicago, Miami, Barcelona, etc.
PZ: What is the most important condition for you as an artist?
JCM: As an artist I love when people take a deep look at my works and ask: “Is this is art?” It is the biggest compliment for me and when I make people think and analyzing about my works.trying to dig deeper what am I trying to say. Now I hope in the future more people will see and recognize my arts.
PZ: How do you survive the pandemic?
JCM: I always think positive and optimistic. This pandemic will end, vaccine will come out soon and we all gonna celebrate. Positive attitude and prayers will help me us to survive this crisis, while continue and still doing and exploring my canvas, paints, easel and pallets, following protocols and procedures are the basic, but personally when I’m in front of my canvas I always feel safe.