Today we’d like to introduce you to Henry Gonzalez. Him and his team share his story with us below.
Please kick things off for us with some background on Henry.
Henry Gonzalez or better known by his artist name GAPE ONE is a Chicago native born and bred on the Southside. He has been an artist all of his life and transitioned to a full time artist in 2010 after spending twelve years in Corporate America working as a Software Engineer in the telecom industry. Henry attained his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from IIT, yet, learned his artistic skills from the inner city streets where he grew up and continues to develop them to this day.
While being only a part-time artist in the past, Henry Gonzalez has been fortunate to have accomplished as much as he has. From winning contests and competitions, and being published in various magazines and books throughout his journey, to having had gallery shows and his art displayed in various cities, GAPE has already traveled a good part of the world and has enjoyed sharing his art in every city and at every opportunity, he was presented.
Now a career artist and adding tattooing to his arsenal, GAPE is excited for what his future holds. Not being bound by anything and having all his time to devote to his passions and creative expression, he is thrilled to watch his art soar to new heights as his love and skill for art both soar along with it.
Henry, can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a visual artist and painter. I paint murals on a large scale throughout the city (and beyond) with the artist collective group I am a part of, RK Design. I also paint canvas and am an active tattoo artist so my mediums mostly include, but are not limited to, Aerosol, Acrylic, and Tattooing.
The work I create is vivid in color and at times bold in content. Although, there is not always a message tied to my art there is always vivid art to look at.
I have been drawing my entire life. As a kid, it was something I was simply drawn to express myself. It didn’t require much. Just a piece of paper and a pencil, stuff I always had lying around because of school anyway.
The common message, I would say, that captures my body of work would be Awareness. Simply spreading a message through art.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Finances are a great concern when trying to be a full-time artist. Just remember to stay true to yourself. With great sacrifice, comes great reward. Keep working hard and doing what you love and one day it will all pay off for you.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work is on exhibit in various places throughout the city, but one can also find said artwork and locations on my social media pages – Instagram and Facebook: @GapeOne
I also do live painting at events as well as show my work at various gallery shows throughout the year and throughout the city. To stay in the know of my latest murals, live painting events, and gallery showings, follow me on social media as listed above.
Contact Info:
- Email: GapeOne@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/GapeOne
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/GapeOne
Image Credit:
Henry Gonzalez
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
